The fight for love
by GreenDragon94
Summary: When Gwen returns for Christmas emotions run high and secrets are revealed. Will the two lovers be able to face the challenges and find happiness? This is a Ben X Gwen story
1. Chapter 1

I do not own Ben 10.

Ok, I got the idea for this story after reading another fan fiction by 'loveablecub' the story was called 'A Year Love and Trials' I tried to just take the idea of the story and make it my own but I am still giving credit where credit is due.

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Chapter 1

It has been four years since Gwen left to go to a university, naturally, Kevin followed. Ben and Julie have been separated for two years now; no one knows why they split up. A month ago, Gwen and Kevin split up, they tried to get Gwen home afterwards but Gwen insisted that she would be staying until the end of term, December 1st, after that she would transfer to an online school.

December 1st rolled around and Ben waited at the train station to pick up Gwen. Gwen's mother wanted to pick her but couldn't because her husband was off doing something with Ben's father. Neither Ben or Gwen's father would be home during the holidays so Ben's mother agreed to set up his old room and Gwen would stay there until she got her own apartment.

Ben sat on the hood of his car looking cool but, on the inside, he was nervous waiting for his cousin. The train rolled in and Ben fought the urge to stand up, opting to look as cool as he could. She stepped off the train and Ben couldn't believe his eyes, she was so beautiful, she had grown her hair out again and it was tied back in a high pony. She was wearing a navy-blue sweater vest and a tan pencil skirt. But Ben knew he looked cool in his signature green jacket with the Omnitrix symbol on the back and the number 10 on his chest.

"Hey Gwen how are you doing?" Ben asked, getting off the car and giving her a hug. He was shocked when Gwen started to cry on his shoulder, shaking with silent tears. He just stood there, running his hand through her ponytail until she stopped.

"This last month has been hard, Kevin has been a pain in my ass trying to talk to me all the time. Finally, I got fed up and told the security guard that he was stalking me and not to allow him on campus." Gwen said, looking Ben in the eyes, a smile warmed her face.

Ben let go of Gwen and walked to the passenger door, opening it. "After you." Ben said, with a slight bow.

Gwen giggled, "Look at you being so civil, since when have you opened the door for me?" Ben just shrugged and closed her door and got into the driver seat. Gwen couldn't help but to stare as Ben drove away from the train station.

"So, where are we going first?" Gwen asked.

"I was thinking of taking you out to a nice restaurant, you know, as a welcome back kind of thing." Ben said, his voice was casual but his heart was racing, he was thinking of all the things he wanted to say to her, for so long he said nothing because she was dating Kevin, but maybe now, his brain thought, maybe now he could tell her he loved her.

He remembered confessing his feelings to Grandpa Max sometime after Gwen left for college, he wasn't shocked, in fact Max said he saw it coming ever since that first summer vacation when Ben got the Omnitrix. Now that she was coming back Grandpa Max warned Ben not to rush into telling her as Gwen would still be hurt over breaking up with Kevin, Ben could see now that Max was right.

"Where are you taking me?" Gwen asked, seeing Ben pull onto the Highway.

Ben pulled out a blindfold and said, "You have to wait and see." Gwen kept trying to peek and get Ben to tell her where they were going for the whole 25 minutes it took to get to the restaurant. "You can take off the blindfold now." Ben said, as he pulled up to the valet.

Gwen took off the blindfold and let out a small gasp, they were at a very nice restaurant named 'RPM Italian'. The valet helped Gwen out of the car while Ben got out too. Ben gave the keys to the valet along with a tip saying, "Don't scratch the paint, please."

In the restaurant Ben confirmed his reservation and the host lead them to a room marked private. It was a decent sized room, there was ivy growing up wall planters and small white lights were draped around the room, giving everything a nice glow. They sat down on a long, plush booth in front of a flattop grill.

Just as soon as the host left Ben's phone rang. "Hello?" Ben answered, Gwen gave him a nasty look and Ben mouthed "Grandpa". "…yeah…I figured after what happened…okay, just taking Gwen out to dinner. Tell everyone that I'll be home late and not to worry I got my keys." Ben hung up the phone and sighed.

Gwen looked worryingly at Ben, "What's wrong?" She asked

Ben sighed again, "You remember Rook?" Ben asked, Gwen nodded. "Well I just got told that he's leaving the plumbers and going back home." Ben let out yet another sigh, "I don't blame him, he hasn't been the same since our last mission when we lost Rebecca." His voice cracked when he mentioned Rebecca, he could feel tears forming in his eyes.

"Are you going to be ok?" Gwen asked.

"Yeah, I'll be fine, don't worry about it; tonight, is all for you." Ben said, wiping his eyes and putting on a gentle smile.

Gwen kissed Ben on the cheek then said, "Look at you, you're probably hurting inside from your loss and you're still trying to make me happy."

Ben smiled, "It's just because I've already made my peace with her death. And as for you and Kevin; I know what you're going through, I went through it when Julie and I broke up." Gwen started to say something but Ben cut her off, "I caught her having sex with Cash, in my bed, at my old apartment."

"Old apartment?" Gwen asked.

"Yeah, I bought an apartment and put it in her name because I couldn't see not spending the rest of my life with her until then so now I own a house." Ben said, seeing the cook come in to take their order.

"Oh, so that's why you and her broke up. I always wondered, now I see why you didn't tell anyone, really sorry to hear that." She paused for a second, "So," Gwen started up again, looking away nonchalantly, "you said you have a house. I was wondering if you had room for a roommate." She tried to sound uninterested in the answer but she failed miserably.

Ben chuckled and said in a playful voice, "Well, I suppose I have room, if you don't want to live on your own or with your parents." Ben looked Gwen in the eyes and said more seriously, "Of course you can come live with me, I got plenty of room."

Gwen threw her arms around him saying, "Ooh thank you!" Ben hugged her back while thinking of how to get her stuff without alerting Kevin.

The cook finished cooking the food and put it on their plates. "Thank you." Ben said to the cook as he turned off the stove and left while it cleaned itself.

"This was so nice." Gwen said as her phone started to ring. She looked at it, Kevin was calling.

"Let me see that." Ben said, taking the phone and turning it off. "Now, what do you want to talk about?" Ben asked, putting the phone down onto the table.

They sat there and ate, Gwen kept trying to get Ben to tell her about the house and all he would say was, 'you'll find out after Christmas.'

Ben said, "Just so you know, I'll be taking you up to get your stuff after the holidays."

"Thank you, I don't think I could do it on my own while he's still trying to talk to me." Gwen replied sullenly.

Ben payed the bill then they started to leave when some girls came up to him and asked, "Can we have your autograph?"

Ben looked at Gwen and she said, "Go ahead." Gwen started to blush, she was so unused to Ben caring about how she felt about him doing all that celebrity stuff.

Ben signed their books then they gave him their numbers. Ben and Gwen walked out to the Valet who already had his car pulled up. Ben helped Gwen back into the passenger seat.

Before Ben got into the car he ripped up the numbers and gave them to the valet to throw away. When Ben got into the car Gwen asked, "Why did you throw away the numbers? You could have dated one of them."

"I haven't been on a date since Julie and I ended our relationship. Before you ask, I'm waiting for the perfect girl. I know where she is but I don't know if she feels the same for me." Ben said. Gwen started to blush hoping he was talking about her, because she loved him but she couldn't tell him herself.

Ben started driving to his mother's place where Ben and Gwen will be staying. Both of their moms planned this arrangement after they found out that Gwen was coming home.

Ben pulled up to his mother's house and said, "Okay, why don't you head up to my room. Don't worry about your bags; I got them." Ben said, and then in a playful tone said, "Wouldn't want you finding your Christmas present." He chuckled a little.

"You got me a present, you never give me presents." Gwen said shocked and, starting to blush.

"Well I did this year, now go, I want it to be a surprise." Ben said, getting out of his car. He stood by the car with his arms crossed as he tracked Gwen's movements to the house.

Once she was inside Ben got her bag out of the car and walked into the house. He made sure all the doors were locked and he went up to his room to find that Gwen was already in bed, but awake. "What are you still doing up, you must be tired after such a long day." Ben asked, placing Gwen's bag next to the couch that Ben was planning to sleep on.

"I just wanted to say goodnight" Gwen said. Ben walked over to the couch and laid down, smiling at Gwen.

"Goodnight Gwen." Ben said in a yawn. The last thing he remembered as he fell asleep was Gwen replying softly.

Around 1 o'clock in the morning Ben woke up to get some water, when he passed by the bed he could hear Gwen softly crying in her sleep. After drinking some water Ben pulled up a chair next to the bed and held Gwen's hand the rest of the night, falling asleep in a very awkward position.

TBC…

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I hope you liked this chapter. Please leave a comment letting me know what you think. To 'loveablecub' if you read this I hope you like it as well and please let me know what you think. (GD)


	2. Chapter 2

I do not own Ben 10.

Ok, I got the idea for this story after reading another fan fiction by 'loveablecub' the story was called 'A Year Love and Trails' I tried to just take the idea of the story and make it my own but I am still giving credit where credit is due.

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Chapter 2

Gwen woke up at 7 am. She looked over at Ben asleep on the couch, he was in just his underwear with his covers on the floor. She just sat there looking at him wondering why she never told Ben how she truly felt about him.

Gwen got out of the bed and got a change of clothes out of her bag. Gwen walked into the bathroom that was connected to Ben's old room, she got into the shower.

Ben woke up and found that the door next to his head that lead to the bathroom was closed and he could hear Gwen taking a shower. Ben placed Gwen's bag on top of the bed and left the room to get some breakfast for himself.

20 minutes later he came back into the room with a tray of food for Gwen. She just finished putting her stuff away and was now sitting on the bed looking at an old picture of them when they were 10 at their cousin's wedding that they went to with their grandfather.

Ben sat the tray on the nightstand next to the bed and said. "I see you found that old picture of us."

"I can't believe you kept it all this time." Gwen said putting the picture back in the night stand. Gwen grabbed the food and walked over to the couch to eat.

Ben sat next to Gwen on the couch, he turned on the TV that was in his room. Ben started flipping through the channels until he found a romance movie.

"When did you start watching these kinds of movies?" Gwen asked seeing that Ben didn't quickly change the channel.

"Figured you'd like it. Besides, when your day to day life is all about fighting, seeing it in movies gets kind of boring." Ben said, distracted.

"How sweet, you're taking such good care of me." Gwen said laying her head on Ben's shoulder and started eating what she could without sitting up.

"Gwen what do you want to do today?" Ben asked picking up the empty tray and was about to take it downstairs.

"Well its vacation so let's just stay here and watch TV today." Gwen replied as Ben left the room.

About 10 minutes later Ben came back into the room to find that Gwen had changed into a pair of footie pajamas that looked like a fox. "So, now I have a fox Cousin?" Ben asked jokingly, taking a seat back on the couch.

Gwen giggled then replied. "Yep, I like being a fox every now and then." Gwen moved the fox ears.

"Aw, cool! How did you do that?" Ben asked grabbing the fox ears and squeezing them, trying to feel if there was anything mechanical in them.

"Ouch." Gwen said, rubbing her fox ears because they hurt from Ben squeezing them. Gwen continued. "I used a spell that makes them part of my ears so it's like I have real fox ears, they even move with my emotions."

Gwen pulled out her phone and turned it back on. her phone started going off like crazy from all the miss calls she had from Kevin. Her ears folded back against her head.

Ben placed an arm around Gwen which made the ears move upwards a little. "Thanks for trying to cheer me up." She said, sadly, with a little smile.

Ben started to play with her fox ears which made her giggle and the ears perked back up. "I would say I did cheer you up." Ben said, smugly. He pulled Gwen close and they cuddled while she picked the next movie. It was a cheesy romantic comedy.

"Ok you win, you did make me feel better." Gwen said laying her head onto Ben's chest while he put his legs up on the coffee table.

Gwen's phone started to ring; it was Kevin again. Ben took the phone and answered it. "Gwen is that you?" Kevin asked.

"Try again, shit brick." Ben replied.

"Ben, is she with you? Give her the phone, I need to tell her that it wasn't my fault." Kevin pleaded, he sounded half crazy.

"OH, ok so it's not your fault. I so believe that, let me tell her that for you." Ben said sarcastically. "Call back when you think I'm actually believing you." Ben said, coldly, then hung up before Kevin could say anything else. He could feel rage burning in his gut and he let out a snort.

They spent the rest of the day just watching tv shows and movies. Later that night Gwen crawled into the bed while Ben took a shower. Gwen was asleep when he came out of the shower.

Ben could hear Gwen crying in her sleep again so Ben pulled up the chair again and held her hand until she stopped. When she did he put the chair back then laid on the couch and fell asleep.

TBC…

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I hope you liked this chapter. Please leave a comment letting me know what you think. To 'loveablecub', if you read this I hope you like it as well and please let me know what you think. (GD)


	3. Chapter 3

I do not own Ben 10.

Ok I got the idea for this story after reading another fan fiction by 'loveablecub' the story was called 'A Year love and trails' I tried to just take the idea of the story and make it my own but I am still giving credit where credit is due.

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Chapter 3

A week has passed since Gwen's return and it has been an uneventful, yet pleasant week. They spent their time lounging in Ben's old room watching anything that came on the T.V.

They heard someone walking up the stairs, it was Grandpa Max. He walked into the bedroom while saying, "Ben, Gwen, how have you been? Sorry that I haven't come over till now, it's been hectic at the headquarters since you and Rook were put on leave."

"It's okay grandpa, we understand. Besides, Gwen's been too tired to do anything so we just been watching TV." Ben said, the arm wrapped around Gwen squeezing protectively.

Max's smile faltered for just a split second and he said, "Come on Ben, let's go talk downstairs." He turned around and started to walk away before Ben could answer.

Ben knew that tone and decided it best to just follow Max, telling Gwen that he'd be right back Ben followed Max downstairs into the living room. Ben and Gwen's mothers were already there, chatting.

"Hey, can you leave us alone for a bit, Ben and I need to talk about plumber stuff." Max's tone was casual and easy going, the only reason Ben could tell he was lying was because he knew better.

Ben's and Gwen's mothers walked out of the house saying. "We were needing a reason to go Christmas shopping."

Max smiled and waved goodbye, when they were out the door he turned to Ben, his face serious. Ben felt a jolt of apprehension; Grandpa Max could be more intimidating than half the aliens he faced off with. "Did you tell her?" he asked simply.

Been shook his head, "Of course not! I don't want to lose her. If she doesn't feel the same then…" Ben trailed off.

Max smiled again and placed a hand on Ben's shoulder. "I understand, I just wanted to make sure you didn't tell her before the time was right. I'm only looking out for the both of you, and Ben, don't let her be the thing that holds you back from being happy."

Grandpa Max pulled Ben into a hug and he said, "I know grandpa." Not admitting that he wasn't going to be happy without her. Max let go and left with a final friendly smile to Ben.

Ben waited around downstairs for a bit while he pulled himself together, he didn't want to go upstairs feeling upset because he knew Gwen would be able to tell instantly.

"So, what did he want to talk to you about?" Gwen asked as Ben took his seat back on the couch and put his feet back on the coffee table.

"It was about if I was going to come back to work at the end of the mandatory leave after the loss of Rebecca." Ben said placing his arm around Gwen again.

Gwen laid her head against his chest again and they laid like that for a while, until Gwen's phone rang with a ringtone she didn't recognize. She looked at who it was and sighed, it was Kevin. Ben took the phone from her and said, "I'll handle him."

Ben accepted the call and heard Kevin say, "Gwen, is it you? Please tell me it is." When Ben didn't say anything Kevin continued, "Please, answer me! We need to talk about this." After still more silence he shouted, "Ben! Get off the phone! I need to talk to Gwen, not you!"

Ben finally replied, feeling rather satisfied he pissed Kevin off. "Well, I'm sorry you don't want to talk to me," He said in mock sympathy. "but I'm the only one you're going to talk to."

"Ben, stop fucking around and put her on the phone. I need to explain to her it's not my fault." That did it, that pissed Ben off.

He took a deep breath and looked at Gwen, letting it go slowly. "So, it's not your fault?" Ben asked calmly but before Kevin could reply he continued, "It's not your fault that you cheated on her?" His stomach was burning with anger. "It's not your fault that you broke her heart?!" Ben was starting to shout now, his heartbeat pounding in his ears. "It's not your god damn fault that she cries herself to sleep, every! Fucking! Night?!" He gripped the phone even tighter, not controlling his volume anymore. "Stop calling Kevin! She doesn't want to talk to you anymore!" But he wasn't done yet, "And guess what Kevin?" He said, suddenly calm. "She won't want to talk to you ever again." He whispered and hung up before Kevin could say anything else.

Gwen looked at Ben, blushing, and asked. "How long have you known I cry myself to sleep?"

"Ever since the first night, I got up to get some water and heard you crying. Well, I couldn't just let you cry so I pulled up a chair and held your hand till you stopped." Ben explained, taking Gwen's hand and holding it like he had the first night.

Gwen closed her hand around his. "Thank you." She said, smiling warmly at him. They went back to cuddling, then Gwen remembered that Kevin's ringtone was different and asked. "Did you change his ringtone?"

Ben looked down at Gwen and smiled then said. "Well, I figured it would make it easier to know that it was him calling if I did."

Gwen cuddled as close as she could and said, "Thank you, you are taking such good care of me."

Ben's mom came in an hour later with two cups of hot chocolate and said, "I figured you two would like some hot chocolate."

Ben's mother left the room happy to see Ben doing whatever he could to make Gwen happy. The doorbell rang, Ben could hear his mother say, "They're up in Ben's room."

Julie came into the room. Gwen jumped up and yelled. "What are you doing here?!"

Julie was about to say something back when Ben spoke, not looking at Julie. "That's not necessary Gwen, she is probably here to see how you're doing."

Gwen sat back down next to Ben and laid her head on his shoulder and said. "Well, after what she did to you I don't know if I even want to talk to her."

"Wow you two are acting more like a couple then cousins." Julie said taking a seat on the bed.

"W-what?! No way! I'm just taking care of her, she's completely heartbroken!" Ben spluttered, feeling defensive.

Gwen nodded, "Just an hour ago Kevin called me and said our brake up wasn't his fault." Gwen was blushing a little bit, embarrassed about the accusation and flattered that Ben was doing so much to help her. She hoped no one saw her blushing.

"Whatever," Julie sighed, "but I know a couple when I see one." She got up and headed to the door. As she left she called, "Text me if you want to chat."

After a few tense minutes Gwen spoke up, "Ben, what would you say if I wanted us to go out somewhere as a couple?" She looked down, not meeting Ben's eyes.

"I would say we should not talk about it until you're over Kevin." Ben said flatly. Inside he was tortured, he wanted to accept Gwen's offer but he knew he couldn't. It wouldn't be fair to take advantage her vulnerable emotional state.

"So, after I'm over Kevin?" Gwen asked, sedate.

Ben nodded, pulling up the blanket to cover Gwen better.

Gwen got up around 10 o'clock to go take a shower, Ben got ready for bed by putting on an old pair of gym shorts. Then laid on the couch.

Gwen came out of the bathroom bent down over Ben and kissed him on the forehead. She got into bed and fell asleep quickly, thinking of how she was now sure the Ben loved her like she loved him, but she still seconded guessed herself, she couldn't forgive herself is she was wrong.

Later that night Ben got off the couch to make sure Gwen wasn't crying in her sleep again like he has done every night. She was crying so Ben grabbed the chair that he sat in and held her hand like every night. He fell asleep holding her hand with his head on the bed.

TBC…

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I hope you liked this chapter. Please leave a comment letting me know what you think. To 'loveablecub', if you read this I hope you like it as well and please let me know what you think. (GD)


	4. Chapter 4

I do not own Ben 10.

Ok I got the idea for this story after reading another FF by 'loveablecub' the story was called 'A Year love and trails' I tried to just take the idea of the story and make it my own but I am still giving credit where credit is due.

* * *

Chapter 4

Gwen woke up and found that Ben was still holding her hand. She smiled down at Ben thinking that if she just told him how she felt about him he might sleep in the bed with her so she could wake up feeling safe every morning.

Gwen's mother come in and said. "Good morning sweetheart how are you doing; I haven't see you all week."

Gwen looked at her mother and replied. "I'm ok, Ben has been taking good care of me."

Gwen's mother looked down at Ben who was still holding Gwen's hand and asked, "Why is he sleeping like that?"

Gwen looked back to Ben and smiled. She looked back to her mother after a second and replied in a soft voice, "Because I've been crying in my sleep so much, and when Ben found out he started to sit at the edge of the bed and hold my hand until I stopped. I guess last night he fell asleep and never woke up to go back to the couch.

Gwen's mother smiled at Ben thinking she was lucky that Ben has been here taking such good care of Gwen in her time of need, then she thought about it looking between Gwen and Ben who was still sleeping and asked, already knowing the answer. "Gwen, sweetheart, are you falling in love with Ben?"

Gwen tried to look shocked for a moment but with a look from her mother that said 'I know' she gave up the ruse and nodded. "Yes, I think I've been in love with him for a long time, I just never wanted to tell him because I was afraid it'd ruin our friendship if he didn't feel the same way." After a moment's pause in which she glanced back at Ben she added, "Also I was afraid of what you and dad would say."

Gwen's mother walked to the bed and sat down next to her daughter. "Okay, let's get a few things straight." She started to tick off on her fingers with every point, "One, if you love him you should tell him, you don't want to regret it later and always wonder what could have been. Two, as long as you're happy your farther and I will support you. I was afraid you weren't ready for collage but I supported you anyway and look how well that turned out. Three, just look at him right now, I don't think you have to worry about being rejected." She said with a playful tone and a wink; Gwen blushed at the thought.

Gwen hugged her mother then her mother left the room, Gwen figured her mother was going to tell Ben's mother what was just said. Gwen stood up and walked into the bathroom to shower.

Just as the water hit Gwen's body she heard her phone ring with Kevin's ringtone. She flinched and then got annoyed. 23 times while she was in the shower Kevin called, she wished she had shut the phone off before she got into the shower. Around the 10th time it rang she was shocked that it hadn't woken up Ben yet. As she got dressed the phone rang again and she sighed in annoyance. On one hand she wanted Kevin to just stop calling and leave her alone, on the other hand she knew she needed to talk to him so she could end this, but whenever she thought about picking up the phone a knot of apprehension twisted her stomach.

When Gwen came out of the bathroom Ben was no longer asleep on the bed but there was a tray of food on the bed with a note with Gwen's name on in. The phone rang again, Gwen ignored it as she read the note.

Dear Gwen,

I woke up after you started your shower so I wrote this and went to make you breakfast, if I'm not in the room when you come out I'm still down stairs eating. Gwen, I was thinking we could go out somewhere tomorrow.

Love, Ben

Gwen put the note down and started to eat what Ben had made her. While she was eating the phone went off for the 26th time now. Gwen picked up the phone and put it on silent, quietly going back to enjoying her meal which was oatmeal with raisins, blueberries and almonds mixed in.

Downstairs Gwen's mother was talking to Ben. "I want to thank you for taking such good care of Gwen this past week, you two have grown up so much. Why, I remember when you were ten the thought of holding your cousins hand made you gag." She said with a laugh.

"Well, I've grown a lot since then and I just don't like to see her unhappy." Ben said, leaning his chair back and looking away.

"You really don't." his mother said softly, "I wonder Ben, have you grown to like her more than a cousin? Dare I say, you've grown to love her." She caught Ben's eye in a stare.

Ben fell back and out of the chair. "Ow." He hissed, clutching his head. He stood up and leaned against the table, "Look, I-" But his voice faltered at the intense stare. "Oh fine," he grumbled looking away. He looked her straight in the eyes with a stare just as piercing as hers. "I do okay, after everything we went through that first summer I got this," he gestured to the Omnitrix "I knew something was different. I'll admit that I didn't know what it was at first but I loved her, I loved being around her and when I wasn't I felt this hollowness in my stomach that only felt better when she was around. I actually came to love school just because she was there." Ben admitted, finally breaking eye contact again.

"Ben, you should tell her soon how you feel, her knowing that someone love her like you do will help her get over Kevin faster." Gwen's mother said.

Ben just turned and walked away, silent. Inside his thoughts were consumed with the question of whether or not to confess to her. On one hand her mother was so sure it'd help but on the other Grandpa Max was so sure that it'd hurt her.

Ben was outside the bedroom door looking in at Gwen who was just behind it, facing away from him. Her hair was still wet and it had sent streaks of water down her back which soaked into her clothes. He debated just walking in, dipping her into a kiss and confessing his feelings like you see in sappy movies.

He shook his head, chasing the fantasy out of his head. He decided it was best to err on the side of caution and take Max's side. If he told Gwen too soon and she rejected him because of it Ben would never be able to forgive himself and it could drive them apart forever.

Ben walked in and started into the bathroom but Gwen stopped him and said. "Thank you for the oatmeal this morning, it was delicious."

Gwen let him walk into the bathroom then sat on the bed. Ben got undressed then got into the shower. Ben hit the button on the music player that was waterproof, Gwen could hear the music.

Gwen looked at her phone and saw that Kevin was calling again. Gwen knew that if she didn't talk to him he would never stop calling. She picked up the phone and answered it. "Yes Kevin?" Gwen asked feeling her stomach twist around inside her.

After about 20 mins Ben unable to hear what Gwen was up to and what was happing. Ben turned off the water, then he started to dry himself. When he was dry and dressed he turned off the music and could hear what sounded like someone crying.

Ben opened the door to find that Gwen was in a curled up in a ball crying as quietly as she could in the bed, Ben walked over to her and sat next to her and started to rub her back and said. "Gwen what wrong, what happed?"

Gwen didn't answer she just keep crying, she moved to where her head was now on Bens lap. Ben was very concerned and confused to what happed, then he knew he saw Gwen's phone on the couch like someone had thrown it there.

Ben stopped patting Gwen and tried to get up but Gwen held him down saying in a sad tone. "Don't leave, I don't want to be alone right now."

"I need to get something but I will be right back and if you want I will lay down so you can cuddle with me better." Ben said. Gwen let him get up and Ben grabbed the phone and he was right he saw 94 missed calls from Kevin and one answered call.

Ben laid on the bed Gwen immediately cuddled on Ben, she buried her face in chest and wrapped her arms around him tightly. Ben laid the phone next to him and held her. Ben started running his hand through her hair.

Ben laid there thinking the next time Kevin calls he would answer it and find out what happed.

TBC…

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I hope you liked this chapter. Please leave a comment letting me know what you think. To 'loveablecub', if you read this I hope you like it as well and please let me know what you think. (GD)


	5. Chapter 5

I do not own Ben 10.

Ok, I got the idea for this story after reading another fan fiction by 'loveablecub' the story was called 'A Year Love and Trials' I tried to just take the idea of the story and make it my own but I am still giving credit where credit is due.

* * *

Chapter 5

Ben had been laying there running his hand through Gwen's hair for a couple of hours before there was a knock on the door. "Come in." Ben said.

Ben's mother come in with some cups of hot chocolate. "What happened Ben?" She asked seeing Gwen curled up on Ben and crying.

"I don't know. I just found her like this after my shower." Ben said.

"Gwen can you tell us what happed?" Ben's mother asked hoping she would tell her. Gwen shook her head no. Ben's mother sighed and grabbed a chair, sat down next the bed and rubbed Gwen's back.

Gwen's phone started to ring and Ben picked it up and saw that Kevin was calling. Ben got out of the bed and left the room. when he got outside he answered the phone.  
"What did you do to Gwen you mother fucker?" Ben said without letting Kevin say anything first.

"I didn't do anything!" Kevin yelled back.

"THAT'S A FUCKING LIE SHE IS FUCKING BALLING HER EYES OUT AFTER ANSING A CALL FORM YOU!" Ben yelled. Ben just heard the other end of the line go dead.

Ben walked back into the room and found his mother had brought in a tray of brownies.

Ben's mom walked out of the room and asked Ben to follow her. "So, what did that little bitch say?" Ben's mother asked casually when they had walked into the living room, before Ben could answer Max walked in and saw Ben's mother upset.

"What happed Ben?" Max asked not sure what he had just walked in on.

Ben looked at his Grandfather then said, "While I was in the shower Kevin called and Gwen answered it, I don't know what was said because Gwen is still upset and not talking. When Kevin called back I asked him what he did but he wouldn't tell me either."

Ben's mother put her hands over her face. Max started to get angry and replied. "Then next time he calls you make sure she doesn't answer it." Ben looked at Max and nodded.

Ben walked up stairs and saw Gwen Sitting up and eating a brownie. "Are you ready to tell me what was said that made you so upset?" Ben asked sitting down next to her.

Ben saw a tear roll down her check. Ben wiped it off and gave her a smile.

Gwen laid her head on his shoulder and said in a sob. "He…He… He said it was all my fault that he cheated on me. He said the reason he slept with her was because I wouldn't do anything like that till I was ready for it."

Ben looked at her and replied holding back his anger, "He said what?"

Ben started to stand up and Gwen grabbed his arm and said. "Don't, he's not worth it. Please stay with me, I don't want to be alone right now."

Ben looked at her and saw the tears start to form in her eyes. "I will, if you like I'll sleep in the bed with you tonight."

Ben heard himself say it and wished he hadn't until she replied, "That would be nice, that way I feel safe all night."

Ben laid down in the bed and Gwen cuddled with him and fell asleep. After an hour of Gwen sleeping on his chest he was sure it was safe for him to get up and go call Kevin.

Ben got out of the bed and walked out of the room with Gwen's phone. Ben's and Gwen's Mothers were sitting in the living room watching tv. When they saw Ben leave the house they went to the window and opened it slightly.

Ben saw what they did out of the corner of his eye but didn't let them know he knew. Ben called Kevin on Gwen's phone knowing he would answer if he thought she was calling. Ben put in on speaker. When Kevin answered he said. "Gwen, I'm sorry, please take me back I promise I won't do it again."

Ben didn't answer just waited to see what else he would say. Ben didn't have to wait long because Kevin continued, "Gwen, I know you're there, I can hear you breathing, please take me back I'm sorry for what I did. She meant nothing to me. You're the one I love, not her. Please talk to me Gwen. You know I love you, for a long time I have waited for you to be ready. She came up to me one night and asked if I wanted to have sex with her and I couldn't help myself. If we were to have been having sex I wouldn't have been tempted. Please, Gwen, say you'll take me back."

Ben took a deep breath and finally replied. "Look Kevin, it's me Ben, I want to say this all in one go so shut your mouth. I have been in love with Gwen since we were 10. I never told her, then she started dating you and I accepted that. But now that you have broken her heart and on top of that you are putting all the blame on her just because she wouldn't have sex with you. That is the lowest thing you can do. I plan on telling her how I feel about her as soon as I think it's right. And so, help me, if you call her again I will make sure you never see the light of day again, understood?"

Kevin was silent for three minutes then he said. "Understood." Ben hung up the phone after that and started back toward the house.

When Ben walked back into the house Gwen's mother gave Ben a big hug then said, "Thank you, now do me one favor and go tell her what you just said to him."

Ben walked up to the bedroom and saw that Gwen was awake. Gwen looked at Ben with tears in her eyes. Ben was unsure what happened, he was thinking that it was because he had left the room until he saw that his bedroom window was open. She must have heard everything that was said.

TBC…

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I hope you liked this chapter. Please leave a comment letting me know what you think. To 'loveablecub' if you read this I hope you like it as well and please let me know what you think. (GD)


	6. Chapter 6

I Don't Own Ben 10

Ok, I got the idea for this story after reading another fan fiction by 'loveablecub' the story was called 'A Year Love and Trials' I tried to just take the idea of the story and make it my own but I am still giving credit where credit is due.

* * *

Chapter 6

"Gwen, I-" Ben started but Gwen cut him off, "Is it true?" She muttered. When Ben didn't respond right away she jumped off the bed and ran up to him, grabbing Ben's face. "Is it?" She asked again, Ben couldn't tell if it was sadness, desperation, or fear in her voice.

Ben couldn't speak, he knew that he couldn't lie but he was also terrified. In just one word everything would change, and he couldn't help thinking that it was going to change for the worst. He pulled Gwen into a tight embraced and choked out the only thing he could, "Yes."

He did it, he ruined everything, Ben was so sure of that fact that he pushed Gwen away and walked away, or at least he tried, instead he fell flat on his face. "What the?" he said as he turned to look at his foot, it was wrapped in Gwen's magic.

"Don't you dare run away Benjamin!" She walked slowly, keeping him in place with her magic. Gwen straddled Ben and grabbed his face gently, Ben couldn't even resist as she leaned in close to him, her long hair brushed the ground as she kissed him softly.

Gwen broke the kiss and sat up, she was shocked to see that Ben had tears in his eyes, nearly overflowing. He looked away and muttered, "You hate me."

Her eyes widened in shock and then she laughed. "You, doofus." she said lovingly. That got his attention and he looked into her eyes. "I don't hate you, I love you. Why would you think that?" she asked, tilting her head to one side.

"Because you're still heartbroken over Kevin and it's unfair to you that I'm in love with you." Hearing it out loud Ben knew that it was flawed reasoning but he couldn't back down now. "You don't deserve a rebound romance. What if the only reason you love me is because you're hurting and I'm someone strong to lean on? What if this doesn't work out and our family picks sides? Oh God, our family, they say they're supportive but come on we both know that our relationship would practically be illegal." Ben started to spill out his insecurities about the relationship, unable to stop now that he had started.

"Ben, shut up!" Gwen interrupted and he obeyed. "For one, it's insulting that you think that I'm only doing this because I'm a damsel." Ben flinched and she continued. "I understand that this is scary, I'm scared too, but we can face anything together. Don't you think?" Ben nodded and Gwen stood up.

Ben sat up, his face burning with embarrassment. He felt stupid for confessing his fears. He groaned and buried his face in his hands. When Gwen giggled he looked up, "Come on dweeb, I'm tired." They got into bed and she laid on Ben's chest, both of them drifted off into a blissful sleep.

An hour later the door creaked open, it was Ben and Gwen's mothers. "Told you," Sandra whispered and closed the door. They looked at each other and silently high fived, stifling giggles so they didn't wake the children. "Let's go celebrate with some ice cream." She breathed and they tiptoed back downstairs, victorious.

Gwen woke up first, as she always did, and was happy to see that Ben was still there. Last night wasn't a dream after all, Ben actually loved her. She stayed like that for another minute, just admiring Ben's fit physique and the way he was sprawled out on the bed.

Gwen went to the bathroom and brushed her teeth, during which time Ben woke up and he was waiting for her when she came out. "Good morning sweetheart." Gwen said, a wide smile on her face.

Ben smirked and said "Hey." Not looking in her eyes. Ben pat the side of the bed, inviting Gwen over. When she sat down he looked into her eyes and said, "We need to talk."

"What about?" Gwen said, concerned.

Ben grabbed Gwen's hands and said gravely, "We need to take this slow."

Gwen took a second and then burst out laughing. Laying back on the bed and holding her stomach. "Oh my god you Dweeb!" She shouted in between fits of laughter. She looked over at Ben who looked confused. Gwen sat up and said, "Of course we take this slow." She pushed the hair away from her face and continued, "Damn, the way you were acting I thought you were going to break up with me. Don't scare me like that."

"What? No way, I finally got you after all these years, I'm not going anywhere." Ben said, his eyes wide. They both burst out laughing at the ridiculousness of their situation and hugged.

"Hey, I was thinking we could go see a movie, they always release good movies during the holiday season." Gwen said after they calmed down.

"If you're sure that you're up to it." Ben said causally, not realizing he just made a mistake.

"And why wouldn't I be?" Gwen said severely, putting her hands on her hips.

"Well you have been sporadically crying since you got here." Ben said, oblivious.

Gwen thumped the back of Ben's head and said, "I'm feeling much better, thank you very much. And I wasn't crying for no reason, okay?" Ben nodded, clutching the back of his head. "Good." She said, curtly.

Ben got into the shower and Gwen walked in. "Gwen what are you doing I'm in the shower?" Ben yelled, covering both his chest and groin.

Truthfully Gwen didn't know why she walked in but she wasn't about to back down. "Well now that we're dating I get to see you naked." She said teasingly. "Besides, I haven't seen you're dick since we were kids, I want to know just how much it's grown."

"OH MY GOD GWEN JUST GET OUT!" Ben yelled, his face bright red. Gwen laughed and obliged. "After we just talked about taking it slow." He muttered to himself after she left the room.

Meanwhile downstairs…

Sandra and Natalie sat at the table and drank coffee while gossiping about various juicy bits around town. Max walked in with a jolly, "Morning all!"

"Oh, hey Max, did you get my text?" Sandra said, after he walked in the kitchen.

"Oh, no I didn't, my phone died while I was asleep. It's actually still at home." Max said, pouring himself a cup of coffee.

"Well you know how it's been obvious that Ben and Gwen have had crushes on each other for a while?" She said, pausing to let Max answer.

"Yeah." Max grunted, tensing up.

"Well they finally confessed!" Sandra said, cheerfully.

"What!?" Max half shouted. "I told Ben repeatedly-" he started to rant but cut off when he caught the look both mothers were giving him.

"You told him repeatedly?" She asked dangerously. "So, it's you who've been telling my son to clam up about his feelings?"

"Have you been telling Gwen the same nonsense?" Natalie asked.

"Only Ben." Max said defensively.

"So, you're saying that you knew for a while and that you sabotaged their relationship?" Natalie said, clearly there was no right answer.

"I was trying to protect them." Max said desperately. "You got to understand that I know what it's like to rush into a taboo relationship."

"Oh, so you think my Gwen is too fragile to handle a rough time?" Natalie said, crossing her arms.

"And you think my Ben is an idiot who doesn't understand consequences?" Sandra said, doing the same.

"T-that's not what I'm saying at all." Max stammered. He was cracking under the oppressive gaze of the two women in front of him. "I just did what I thought was right." He said, hanging his head in defeat.

"Well I suppose it doesn't matter now, they're finally together and we can only wait and see what the future holds." Sandra said, being the first to break the death stare.

"Yeah." Natalie sighed, sitting back down. "Still, I have to know that you're not going to try and break them up." She said, sharply.

"I promise I won't." Max said, raising his right hand in an oath. He put on his serious face and asked, "Why are you two okay with them dating?"

Sandra was the first to respond. "I don't like holding back love."

"He's better than the criminal." Natalie said, bitterly.

Max shrugged his shoulders and sat down at the table with his coffee. The damage was done and he could only hope that it won't blow up in their faces.

TBC…

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This was such a fun chapter to write! As always comment to let me know what you think and to loveablecub, if you read this I hope you like it as well and let me know what you think.


	7. Chapter 7

I do not own Ben 10

Ok, I got the idea for this story after reading another fan fiction by 'loveablecub' the story was called 'A Year Love and Trials' I tried to just take the idea of the story and make it my own but I am still giving credit where credit is due.

* * *

Chapter 7

It was nearing 3 o'clock and Gwen sat on the couch looking up movie times on her phone. "Hey how about Dying Flames?" she asked looking up at Ben who was lounging on the bed.

"What's it about?" Ben asked, getting off the bed to sit next to Gwen. He grabbed the phone and read the synopsis. "Huh, sounds cool. What else is playing?" He said, absent mindlessly scrolling through the list when all of a sudden, he gasped and stood up, "The new Sumo Slammers movie is playing!"

"I thought they were done with that series." Gwen said, ready for a rant.

"Well yeah, the original but they're doing the next generation! This is the first movie that's going to kick it all off." Ben said excitedly, then paused and said, "I mean, we could always see it some other time or even just get it when it comes out on DVD."

Gwen giggled and shook her head. "I don't mind seeing it you know, I like sumo slammers too." She said and then under her breath said, "Maybe not as much as you but still."

"We can go to the 5 o'clock showing." Ben said, handing the phone back to her.

"Sounds good, what do you want to do 'till then?" She asked, putting the phone down.

"Cuddle and watch T.V?" Ben suggested, arms open. Gwen laughed and laid her head against his chest and they picked a random channel, it turned out to be a cooking show.

"You should take notes." Gwen said, jokingly.

"What are you talking about, I can cook." Ben replied smugly.

"Prove it." She said, poking his chest.

"What? I made you that oatmeal, didn't I?" He said, like his pride was wounded.

"Oh please, oatmeal is easy, a child could make it." Gwen giggled.

"You know what, challenge accepted, I was going to take you out to dinner tonight but I'll cook the whole family a meal instead." Ben said, stubbornly.

"That's not what I meant!" Gwen said, flustered.

"Too late, I'm doing it. Mom!" he called downstairs "I'm making dinner tonight."

"Okay dear, have fun." His mom called back up, then a few seconds later said "Do you want any help with that?"

"Nope, I got it all by myself." He replied with a meaningful glance to Gwen.

"All right, if you insist." Ben's mother said, not sounding very confident.

They both laughed and went back to watching the show. It was almost time to head to the movies and they got changed. Gwen into some casual t-shirt and slacks, Ben into a Sumo Slammers graphic tee and jeans. As they were grabbing their jackets he said, "We're gunna go catch a movie, I'll be starting dinner around 7-7:30 depending on how long it takes me to shop." Ben said to his mother.

"I've better go check the smoke alarms." She muttered to herself as Ben closed the door.

The movie was awesome and Ben and Gwen were talking about it on the ride to the grocery store. "Oh hey, what are you planning on making anyway?" Gwen asked.

"Well that's a secret, but if you can figure it out by the ingredients I won't lie." Ben said, pulling into a parking spot.

"Why are you so determined to do this?" Gwen asked.

"I want to prove to you I can cook." When it was clear that, that wasn't a satisfactory answer he admitted, "So what? I want to impress you." His cheeks reddened slightly.

All throughout the shopping Gwen was constantly trying to guess what the dish was going to be but was off every time. Ben put up with it expertly, making a bad pun for every wrong guess.

Gwen still haven't found out by the time they arrived back home. "I want you and everyone to stay out of the kitchen." Ben said, and then continued without letting Gwen respond, "You know what, I'll block off the entrance with diamond head or better yet spider monkey." He grabbed the bags of groceries and marched into the kitchen.

He turned into spider monkey and made quick work of blocking off the doorway with an opaque web. "There, no one's going to be bursting in here any time soon." He said, satisfied. He then turned into ditto and split once then only he split again so that there were three dittos. "Okay boys, you know what we're doing right?" The other two of him nodded "Then let's get started!" He said, turning back into a human, the others mimicking him simultaneously. "Oh yeah, I'm chef," Ben said pointing to himself, "You are sous." He said pointing to the clone on the left "And you're commis." The two nodded and got to work.

They were making Fish tacos with a roasted corn salsa and guacamole as toppings and Spanish rice as a side dish. Chef grabbed the cod and got to work on quickly marinating the fish before he pan-fried it. Sous drained a can of corn and seared the kernels with garlic. Commis had the most cumbersome part as he rinsed the Jasmin rice in preparation of toasting it.

The one thing about three people working at once is that the stove gets crowded quickly. "Hey watch it!" Sous snarled to Commis as they bumped into each other.

"You watch it!" Commis snarled back

"Both of you guys calm down!" Ben snapped, trying to just focus on what he was doing.

The two clones started to brawl, cursing all the while.

"That's enough!" Ben yelled, grabbing both of the clone's attention. "Do that again and I'll go spider monkey, stick you two to the wall then turn us all into Ditto and reabsorb you both, now let's get back to cooking before the meal burns."

"Yes chef" They mumbled, apologetically, and got back to work.

The rest of the time cooking went smoothly. When the food was done Ben and the clones turned back into Ditto and became one. Ben plated the food and brought it out to everyone who was waiting at the table: Gwen, Sandra, Natalie, and Max.

"Woah! This looks amazing!" Ben's mom said as he severed her.

"I'm impressed, I thought you were just going to make grilled cheese or something." Max said, being served.

"But does it taste as good as it looks?" Natalie said, cautiously.

"Only one way to find out." Gwen said and took a bite. "Mmm! Wow this is great." She said, her mouth still half full. "But, very hot." She continued, sheepishly.

"Ben, when did you learn to cook like this?" Max asked, eating some rice.

"Rebecca was getting on my and Rook's case about always eating junk food so she insisted on teaching us how to cook for ourselves." Ben said solemnly taking his seat. "Honestly Rook is better than I am." He laughed, "Though at first he could burn water!" It was a desperate kind of laugh. "Or maybe that was me?"

"Ben." Max said simply.

Ben shut up and looked at Max, "Right, uh, sorry. Let's eat." Ben focused on eating and wouldn't respond to any more questions. When he was done he excused himself with a simple, "I'm tired." And trudged upstairs his posture a little hunched.

When Gwen got upstairs after doing the dishes she found Ben already fast asleep. She smiled and crawled into bed next to him, she could get changed tomorrow.

TBC…

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I hope you liked this chapter. Please leave a comment letting me know what you think. To 'loveablecub' if you read this I hope you like it as well and please let me know what you think. (GD)

Oh, and there's a little joke hidden in the story, let us know if you find it. Seriously, let us know what you think it is I want to see if anyone gets it! (YD)


	8. Chapter 8

I do not own Ben 10

Ok, I got the idea for this story after reading another fan fiction by 'loveablecub' the story was called 'A Year Love and Trials' I tried to just take the idea of the story and make it my own but I am still giving credit where credit is due.

* * *

Chapter 8

Ben stood there, in the middle of a burning town, people running away past him. They were screaming. Something was wrong and Ben ran against the crowd to find the source of the terror. He stopped dead in his tracks, frozen. A Humungousaur was rampaging, tearing down buildings, stomping on anything or anyone that got in it's way and throwing whatever it could find.

Ben couldn't move, couldn't think, couldn't breathe, he just stood there and watched the carnage. Then the Humungousaur picked up a child that was trapped in the building it was currently destroying and Ben snapped into action. "Let her go!" Ben screamed up at the mindless beast. It turned to him and smiled. Ben tried to turn into an alien but something was wrong, his Omnitrix wasn't working. No matter how hard he slammed down on it, the thing sat there, its lights blacked out.

The girl screamed and Ben's gaze snapped back to the Humungousaur, it was starting to squeeze her. Ben ran full speed, determined to do anything he could to save her. The screaming increased in pitch as he neared the alien then stopped suddenly with a sickening, wet, crunch. It dropped the girl and she fell, limply, to the pavement. Ben thought he was going to vomit as he stared at the body, twisted and bloodied.

The beast started to chuckle and Ben snapped his gaze up to it's eyes. It threw its head back and laughed, mocking Ben. He was frozen once again, as Humungousaur brought it's leg up, and stomped, full force, on Ben.

Ben woke up with a gasp; his heart pounding in his chest. He looked at Gwen, curled up beside him and drew a deep breath, letting it back out slowly. Without disturbing her Ben got up and went to the bathroom. He looked at himself and said, "It's okay Ben, just relax. It was just a nightmare." The image of the crushed girl flashed into his mind and he got sick.

The noise woke up Gwen and she called out, "Ben? Are you okay in there?"

"Yeah, just fine!" He lied, "Guess dinner didn't agree with me." He laughed. "I'll be back in a minute, just going to brush my teeth." He did so and as he did he inwardly talked to himself. "What's wrong with me? I haven't thought about that in months." When he had finished he laid back in bed and sighed, unable to fall back to sleep for a long time. Even when Ben did fall back asleep it wasn't restful and he tossed and turned in his sleep for the rest of the night.

The next morning Gwen woke up to see Ben's forehead covered in a cold sweat. "Must be food poisoning." She said to herself and went to make Ben breakfast, if only a light one. While waiting for the water to boil Gwen's mom walking in the kitchen.

"Sweetie?" She asked, softly.

"Yeah mom?" Gwen replied

"Is Ben okay?" Gwen's mother asked, seeming hesitant.

"Just a bit of food poisoning." Gwen said, putting some bread in the toaster.

"That's not what I'm talking about, I didn't even know he was sick." Gwen turned to see her mother with her arms crossed, her body language completely closed off.

"Then what are you talking about?" Gwen asked, a hint of worry now in her voice.

"His outburst last night; at the dinner table?" Her mother gently pointed out.

"Oh no," Gwen groaned "I didn't even think of that, you think he's still tore up about Rebecca?"

"I think he blames himself." She said, as the faintest hints of the kettle's whistle in the air.

"He's not that stupid, it wasn't his fault." Gwen said and after a deadpan expression from her mother emphasized, " _that_ stupid." They shared a giggle and Gwen sighed, "You really think he blames himself?"

"I saw him when he first came back, it was guilt. You should talk to him about it, maybe you can help him." As if on cue the kettle's whistle was ear splitting and both women's attention was focused on it. "I'll be going, and I suggest you get the whole story." Gwen's mother said as she left.

Gwen was left alone, and she absent mindedly made chamomile tea. "He can't possibly blame himself." Gwen thought, "I may not know the whole story but there's no way that he didn't do every thing in his power to save her." Boiling hot water spilled over her bare feet and she jumped back, cursing. Gwen looked over the mess she made and sighed, healing her feet could wait she had to clean up.

By the time she was done cleaning the toast had popped up and the tea had steeped she brought them upstairs to find that Ben was awake and doing push-ups. "What are you doing? You're sick and should be in bed." Gwen asked incredulously.

"I feel much better, thanks." Ben said coldly.

Gwen put the toast and tea on the end table and then kicked Ben's feet out from under him. "You don't just get to talk to me like that!" She yelled as Ben faceplanted.

Ben made a fast recovery and jumped up to his feet, "What is with you and going after my legs?" he yelled back.

"How about you tell me about that outburst last night?" Gwen said, crossing her arms now looking a lot like her mother.

"I-" Ben started but then looked away. When Gwen didn't let up Ben growled and looked down, catching a glance at her feet. "Oh my God what happened?" He asked, kneeling to take a better look.

"I spilt hot water on them when I was making you tea, it's really no big deal I'll heal them soon." Gwen said, the anger in her voice slowly dissipating.

"Why did you make me tea?" He asked, standing up.

"Because you threw up last night and you were drenched in sweat this morning, I thought you had food poisoning or something."

"Well thanks for the thought but I'm fine." Ben said, growing distant again.

"I don't believe you." Gwen sighed, exasperated. She sat on the bed, her head bowed.

"I just, don't want to talk about it right now, okay?" Ben asked, sitting next to Gwen and taking her hand.

Their foreheads touched as Gwen sighed, "Alright, just promise you'll tell me if you need help. I'm here for you too, doofus."

"I know." Ben whispered and the kissed, and then laid down to cuddle, Ben finally drifting off into a restful sleep.

TBC…

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I hope the opening scene wasn't too scary for you guys, there was hot debate on whether or not to include all the details but we all agreed it'd be for the best. Please leave a comment letting me know what you think. To 'loveablecub' if you read this I hope you like it as well and please let me know what you think. (GD)

I know this chapter wasn't heavy on content but it's setting a few things up so bear with me. (YD)


	9. Chapter 9

Ok, I got the idea for this story after reading another fan fiction by 'loveablecub' the story was called 'A Year Love and Trials' I tried to just take the idea of the story and make it my own but I am still giving credit where credit is due. (GD)

* * *

Chapter 9

Christmas was in a week and the whole house was to be decorated today. Ben's mother woke the two of them up with cups of improvised mochas, half hot chocolate and half coffee. "Thanks Mrs. Tennyson." Gwen said and took a sip, "It's really good."

"Oh, come on Gwen, you know you should call me Sandra." She said with a gentle smile. "Makes me feel so old." She laughed. "Come on, finish your mochas and come downstairs, we'll get started on decorations." Sandra left the room.

Gwen sat up and grabbed a nightgown, putting it on quickly. Gwen saw Ben was blushing slightly and said, "I got hot last night." Blushing a little as well.

"Hey, it's fine, just didn't notice earlier." Ben said

"Neither did your mom." Gwen chuckled.

"Now that's just wrong!" Ben said and laughed, soon they were both laughing loudly.

"What's so funny?" Said Max, who was standing in the doorway, looking stern.

"You know what, I don't even remember." Gwen said casually but still unable to control her giggling.

Max turned his attention to Ben, "I don't remember either." Ben said, managing to keep a straight face.

After a few tense seconds of Max staring at the pair he shrugged and a warm smile replaced the thin-lipped frown. "Well okay then." He said cheerfully. "Just come on down soon, I'm making breakfast!"

"No wait!" Both Ben and Gwen shouted. "I'll cook breakfast." Ben said, calmly. He got out of the bed and followed Max down the stairs.

"You didn't have to do that, Ben, I was going to make pancakes and Eggs." Max said.

"Then how about we make it together." Ben said when they hit the bottom of the stairs. Max and Ben made breakfast, Max made the eggs which he decided to scramble for simplicity and, Ben made the pancakes he separated the eggs and whipped up the whites to make a very fluffy pancake. When all was said and done the whole family enjoyed it.

When everybody was full they got started on decorations. Max and Ben's father dragged in the Christmas tree, when it warmed up the living room started to smell like pine. Everyone helped with decorating the tree, stringing multi-colored lights around it, adding bobbles and some handmade decorations from when Ben and Gwen were young. Gwen used her telekinesis to put a star on the top of the tree.

"I could have done that you know." Ben said, irritably.

"I can take it down and you can put it back on." Gwen replied, raising a hand to gesture her willingness to get it back.

"No, it's fine." Ben huffed.

The family moved on to the next task, preparing the garland. They took faux pine garland and wrapped fairy lights in them so at night they would glow a warm white. Once they were done with that they put the garland around the banisters, on the edge of windowsills and on top of the mantle.

After they finished hanging the garland, they took a break to eat lunch; everyone making their own sandwiches.

Ben and Gwen cuddled on the couch while they ate their sandwiches. Ben and Gwen's mother were siting at the table just smiling at them.

Natalie leaned over and whispered to Sandra, "I think Ben is still blaming himself about Rebecca." Sandra took a second, looking over to her son and nodded in agreement.

Ben turned on the T.V, flipping through the channels absent mindedly while eating. He eventually landed on an episode of 'Steve Wilkos.' It took him a few minutes before he remembered the episode, having watched it with his mother before.

"I didn't know you liked this show." Gwen said and took a bite.

"I like it, it's good when nothing else is really on. Me and mom watch it together too." They took their break for the rest of the episode, the two mothers joining them when they were done eating. Ben didn't know where the others were at the time.

When the episode was over, they discussed it while they continued to put up decorations. Soon Grampa Max came back in with a bunch of Christmas presents, already wrapped. "So that's where you disappeared to" Ben's mother said. Ben helped Grampa Max finish bringing in the presents and putting them under the tree.

When they were all done with the decorations, they gathered at the dining table to play a board game as a family. Half way through the game Ben and Gwen's mother went to make dinner. Everyone joked that they forfeited the game.

When dinner was done, they cleaned up the game and eat dinner. After dinner Ben and Gwen went upstairs and Gwen put on Steve Wilkos on because she found that there was a marathon going on when she was looking through the Tv guide. They fell asleep on the couch cuddling to it.

TBC…

I hope you like

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d this chapter. Please leave a comment letting me know what you think. To 'loveablecub' if you read this I hope you like it as well and please let me know what you think. (GD)

Just so everyone knows I'm going to try to get the next chapter done and posted on Christmas day of this year. (GD)


	10. Chapter 10

I do not own Ben 10.

Ok, I got the idea for this story after reading another fan fiction by 'loveablecub' the story was called 'A Year Love and Trials' I tried to just take the idea of the story and make it my own but I am still giving credit where credit is due. (GD)

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Chapter 10

Gwen woke up suddenly when Ben yelped. She was lying on her side facing away from Ben. Gwen could hear Ben breathing fast but it quickly returned to normal. She considered letting Ben know that she was awake but she soon heard gentle snores, Ben was back asleep. Gwen reminded herself to bring it up in the morning and feel back asleep.

It was the morning of Christmas and Ben woke up, still feeling tired. He stretched, yawned and checked his phone. Ben's grip on his phone tightened when he read the message that Kevin sent him.

"Ben, I'm coming over for Christmas. Deal with it."

Ben furiously typed,

"Come over and I'll kick your ass!"

It took a couple of minutes but Kevin responded,

"I dare Ya."

Ben laughed angerly, it woke up Gwen. "What's so funny?" She mumbled.

"I'm going to get to kick some ass today, what a gift." Ben said, savagely.

"What are you talking about?" Gwen asked, now sitting up. Ben just snorted and handed her the phone. "Well he's going to die." She said, flatly. "Why would he want to come over anyway? He knows he's not welcome."

"Cuz he has a death wish." Ben grumbled.

"I'm being serious." Gwen said, giving Ben a stern look. He looked pissed, shoulders squared and breathing heavily. Her face softened and she gave Ben a hug. "Just don't actually kill him." Gwen said softly.

"And who'd stop me?" Ben replied, distantly.

Gwen sat up and looked at Ben shocked. "It's not in your nature to kill someone."

Ben looked down and said in barely more than a whisper, "Yeah, well you've been gone a while." Ben glanced at Gwen, who had the most concerned look he'd ever seen on her. "Let's go wait for Kevin, opening presents can wait." He said, flatly.

Ben went downstairs, Gwen following close behind. As he passed the living room, fully decorated and a stack of presents underneath the tree his anger melted for a second. It was a beautiful sight and could get anyone in the Christmas spirit. He smiled and thought, ' _My first present will be kicking Kevin's ass.'_

Ben grabbed his coat and stepped outside, it had snowed last night and there was about an inch of virgin snow covering everything. "Such a shame that I'm going to stain the snow red." Ben said, only half joking.

Gwen giggled, "Hopefully he'll be here soon, it's freezing." She said, rubbing her arms. Ben smiled and wrapped an arm around her waist, pulling her in close. They stood side by side, waiting for Kevin.

They didn't have to wait long before his car pulled up, parking in the street right in front of the driveway. Ben let Gwen go and took a step forward. He started cuing up an alien as Kevin stepped out of the car. "Last chance. Take a step more and you'll regret it!" Ben called out before Kevin could step on the property. Ben and Kevin locked eyes and Kevin took a very deliberate step.

Ben sprang into action; running at Kevin he slammed down the Omnitrix. In a flash he was Chromastone and in another two steps was to Kevin. Kevin pulled out a strange looking gun and fired before Chromastone could react. Chromastone felt like he was just struck by lightning as he fell to the ground, convulsing. The Omnitrix beeped and flashed, making him human again.

Even though Ben was stunned it didn't mitigate his fury. "What was that?" He yelled, and stood up, still shaking. The pain only lasted a few seconds but it took a lot out of him.

Kevin smirked and showed off the strange gun, "What this? Just something a friend gave me. Forces you out of your transformations." Kevin said, cocky, but his victory was short lasted as Ben transformed again. "What?" Kevin said, and then got punched in the face by Four Arms.

"I didn't mean to use him but it works!" Four Arms said, smiling and winding up another punch. Kevin ducked underneath Four Arms, grabbing his legs and pulling them out from under him. Four arms fell, landing hard but he shrugged it off. He grabbed Kevin's leg in return and tripped him. Four arms straddled Kevin and started wailing on him, holding his arms with two hands and using the other two to beat him.

Kevin managed to struggle out of the hold and looked just barely shaken. Four arms charged again, but when he grabbed Kevin, he transformed into Upchuck. "I didn't do that!" Upchuck said as he clung onto Kevin's shirt. Kevin chuckled and grabbed Upchuck, tossing him into the side of the house

"Ben!" Gwen shouted and started to run to where he landed.

"Stay there, I'm fine." Upchuck said and picked up some of the siding that was knocked off when he crashed into it. He quickly ate it and ran towards Kevin, halfway to him Upchuck spat acid at Kevin, hitting him. The blow knocked Kevin unbalanced giving Upchuck the opportunity to jump up and kick Kevin under the jaw. Upchuck used the momentum of the kick to backflip away, he grabbed Kevin with his tongue before the peak of his ark and, with the all his strength combined with the momentum of the kick, picked Kevin up, and tossed him over and behind him. Kevin slammed into the ground a foot away from Upchuck, leaving a dent in the ground.

Upchuck landed on his feet and spun to face Kevin, who was starting to get up. He quickly grabbed Kevin with his tongue again and lifted him into the air. "You look yummy." Upchuck said, his words partially obscured by his tongue. Kevin struggled but couldn't get out of Upchuck's grasp. He swallowed Kevin whole. "Ugh, never mind, you're bitter and gross." Upchuck said and spat Kevin back out, sending him flying.

Once again Ben was forcefully transformed, this time it was Spidermonkey. "Okay what did you do to me!" He shouted at Kevin as he struggled to get up.

"Well it was supposed to shut off your Omnitrix." Kevin grunted. "I'm going to kill him." He said quietly to himself barely audible to Spidermonkey. Kevin made a beeline to his car, Spidermonkey managed to intercept him and tackled him onto the street.

Kevin absorbed the concrete, only having enough time to coat his arm. Kevin used all his force and punched Spidermonkey in the nose, he screeched and reared back, his nose was bleeding. Spidermonkey shook his head, sending blood splattering across the snow. He looked back to Kevin, fire in his eyes.

Spidermonkey was starting to lose control, he slammed his fists all over Kevin, with little rhyme or reason. He chattered and screeched like a monkey, baring his teeth. It didn't seem to do much to Kevin as he was now completely coated in concrete, but it did seem to stun him with the ferocity of it all.

At this point the rest of the family had been woken up by the noise and rushed outside. "What's going on out here?" Ben's mother asked.

"Ben and Kevin are fighting because Kevin didn't leave when Ben told him to." Gwen explained. Ben's mother was about to respond but was cut off when Spidermonkey came crashing into her, having been thrown by Kevin.

The fighting stopped for a second as everyone turned to Kevin, "Uh oh…" He said and ran to his car.

Another flashed indicated Ben's transformation, this time it was Wildmutt. Wildmutt wasn't wasting any time, he quickly reached Kevin's car, right as Kevin managed to turn it on, and jumped on the hood, denting it. Wildmutt leaned over and smashed the driver's side window, dragging Kevin out. He shook his head violently, making Kevin's armor start to chip.

Kevin tried desperately to get out of Wildmutt's grasp as he started to get pulled back into the yard. No matter how hard Kevin hit Wildmutt he remained strong, refusing to unlock his jaws. Kevin pulled out the disrupter and fired again at Wildmutt, this caused him to bite down even harder and fall, Kevin screamed as Wildmutt's fangs pierced the concrete, sunk into his flesh and crushed the bones in his forearm.

Ben once again was forced to human, this time the pain was worse, and stayed with him longer. Even when the pain faded Ben couldn't stop shaking, his muscles not listening to his commands to get up and keep fighting.

Gwen rushed over, grabbing both Kevin and Ben in her telekinesis and separating them. "That's enough, both of you!" Gwen snapped, her eyes glowing. "Now what do you want?" She asked bringing Kevin closer.

"Just wanted to give you this." Kevin spat, reaching into his back pocket and pulling out a small package. He tossed it on the ground at Gwen's feet.

"Go. Away." Gwen growled, letting him down.

"Whatever." Kevin said and limped to his car. He stopped right before he got in his car and said, "Next time I'll win." Staring at Ben. He got in his car and drove away, everyone watching his departure.

Gwen brought Ben down to the ground next her and knelt. "Are you okay?" She asked. She didn't wait for the answer as she placed a hand on his stomach and started healing him. She could tell that the disrupter did a lot of damage to him.

"I'm fine." Ben said, when he could finally stop shaking. He laid back, the chill of the snow quenched the fire inside of him and his anger faded. Ben was now embarrassed, usually he could kick Kevin's ass no sweat but this time he won. "I'm going to go upchuck, eat that stupid gun, and throw it back up on him." Ben said.

Gwen giggled, but concentrated on healing Ben. When she was done, she helped Ben to his feet. "Better?" She asked.

"Yeah." Ben said and then jogged over to his mother. "Are you okay?" He asked, concerned.

"Oh yeah, just fine, just didn't expect to get tackled by a large monkey." His mother joked. "I might be bruised in the morning though." She laughed, then flinched.

"Do you want me to help?" Gwen asked, lifting a glowing hand.

"I'm fine dear, just a little sore. There's no need to heal me." Ben's mom said, gently yet firmly. "Come on let's go inside, Max should be here soon." They all walked back inside, Ben flopped on the sofa with a sigh. His mother sat next to him, more gingerly. "Who wants some eggnog?" Ben's Mother said after a minute, finding that she couldn't relax. "It was rather cold out there." She added. Ben certainly felt the chill and Gwen was cold as well. They all murmured in assent so she went to get the drinks.

They all sat around in an awkward silence, the air thick with tension due to the fight. "Well that was interesting." Gwen's mother said, trying to get everyone in a better mood. "So, what actually happened anyway? I want the whole story." She asked, leaning towards Ben in interest.

Ben gave a sigh, rubbing his face with exhaustion. "I woke up this morning to find that Kevin texted me that he was coming for Christmas and to deal with it. I told him _politely_ no. He came anyway. Fighting ensued." It was clear that Ben was only going to give the bullet points, not really having the energy to go into depth.

Ben's Mother came out with a tray of mugs, each of them giving them off gentle wafts of steam. "Here we are!" She called out, a big smile on her face. With that everyone perked up a bit, smiles, laughter and holiday cheer was thick in the room. Ben took a sip of the warm, sweet drink. It was decadent, it coated his mouth with cream and he could taste the nutmeg and cinnamon. Ben could also taste the bourbon, the cream mitigating the burn of the spirit. The warmth in his belly spread through his body and he could finally relax the tension that he hadn't realized were built in his muscles.

After that the atmosphere in the room livened considerably. The fire was lit by Ben's Mother, it warmed the room, and everyone chatted amongst themselves, waiting for Max to arrive before they started opening presents. Luckily, they needn't wait long as Grandpa Max came through the door with a Jolly 'Ho, ho, ho!" Grandpa Max had come, dressed up as Santa Claus. Everyone laughed and cheered, Ben's Mother offered him a mug of eggnog which Max took with a grateful smile. "So, uh…" Max said after taking a sip of the warm drink. "What happened out there?" he asked, gesturing towards the door behind him. He had a concerned look on his face.

"Oh, I just had to kick Kevin's butt." Ben said with a cocky smile but it faded away with a sigh. "But he did manage to mess with the Omnitrix." He said, hold up his wrist to show that it was in recharging mode. "Thing is it's been like this for almost an hour, I might just have to call Azmuth." He said, his face stern and serious.

"What caused this?" Max asked

"Some kind of stupid gun, shot out a beam and hurt like hell." Ben said, obviously salty about his perceived defeat.

"Do you have it?" Max asked, his arms folded.

"No, the second time he shot me with the stupid thing I couldn't get back up." Ben said, venom in his voice.

"The second shot did neurological damage, it's lucky I could heal him." Gwen interjected.

"Well fine, we'll worry about that later." Max said, gently, his posture returning to jovial. "Have you started opening gifts yet?"

"No not yet, we were waiting for you to arrive." Ben's mother said. "But, now that you are, we can all start!" She said, clasping her hands together in excitement. "Who wants to start?"

They spent a while opening presents. Gwen got a new set of pajamas that made her look like a panda, a makeup kit, and a pair of black, thigh high, suede stiletto boots. When Gwen questioned Ben where his for her was he simply said that it was at his house and that she'd have to wait.

The first gift that Natalie got was a silver locket, on the inside were two pictures. The first, a picture of Ben and Gwen as kids, Ben was giving an ugly face to the camera and Gwen was shoving him. The second picture was Ben and Gwen from earlier this month, they replicated the original pose. It was sweet and she looked up at Ben and Gwen, tears in her eyes. They all hugged before she moved on. The next was a gift certificate to a fancy spa in town. Finally, she got a pair of gold stud earrings.

Sandra got the same kind of locket as Natalie except it was heart shaped instead of circular, she was grateful too. The next gift was a combo heated throw and heated slippers. Finally, she got a first edition copy of the works of William Shakespeare. Sandra looked towards Max, "How much was this?" She asked. Max replied that it didn't matter with a dismissive wave of his hand.

Max got a luxury leather wallet, and in it was the same pictures that the others got. Sandra got him a cookbook full of Japanese cuisine and Natalie got him a cookbook of different alien recipes. "It was so weird going into Undertown." Natalie said with a shiver. Everybody laughed, including Natalie.

And at last it was Ben's turn to open presents, the first gift he opened was the newest game system given to him by Grandpa Max. Ben's and Gwen's mother teamed up to get Ben the first season of Sumo Slammers signed by the actors who played Ishiyama and Kenko. "Seeing as I haven't left the house without you, I couldn't buy you a gift." Gwen said. "Still, I figured I could give you this." She continued and quickly gave Ben a kiss on the lips. Everyone laughed when Ben turned a vibrant shade of crimson.

After everything started to calm down Ben went to make waffles for breakfast which everyone enjoyed. Another round of eggnog was served up and everyone hung out in the living room talking and joking. "Oh hey!" Ben said suddenly. "How about I call Rook? We can all say merry Christmas." Everyone agreed and Ben used his Omnitrix to contact Rook's plumber badge, hoping that he would keep it near him still.

"Hello?" Rook's voice came through the Omnitrix, sounding confused.

"Hey Rook, it's Ben." Ben said, cheerfully.

"Oh hello, what are you calling for?" Rook asked.

"Just wanted to say-" Ben started

"Merry Christmas!" Everyone finished.

Rook gave a polite laugh. "Well you know that I do not celebrate Christmas but I appreciate the sentiment." He said.

"So how is life treating you?" Max asked.

"Oh, well life has gotten simpler since I left the plumbers. It is not a bad thing, it feels nice to work hard on a task and then relax at the end of the day." Rook answered.

"That's good to hear." Max said, lying through his teeth. He sounded patronizing.

"Have you found a new girlfriend yet?" Sandra asked innocently. The room went silent and everyone tensed up, the lack of response from Rook was answer enough.

After a few tense seconds of silence Ben said, "I got to go prep dinner, I'll talk to you later."

"I think that is best." Rook said tensely. Ben hung up.

"Too soon?" Sandra asked, sheepishly. Natalie placed a hand on her shoulder and nodded.

Ben stood up, he wasn't lying about having to start Dinner. In the kitchen he found that there was still quite a bit of eggnog left in the crock pot and helped himself to another glass as he started. The prep took longer than it would have if he had access to his aliens, about an hour, in which he absentmindedly had four glasses of eggnog. Ben was tipsy when he was done prepping everything, it'd be a while yet before he needed to start cooking.

Ben found himself needing to talk to Rook, several layers of mental defenses were weakened by the booze. He went to the bathroom and locked the door, not wanting to be disturbed. He sat on the edge of the bathtub and dialed Rook, noticing that his Omnitrix was still in recharge mode.

"Hello?" Rook answered.

"Hey Rook, got time to talk?" Ben asked.

"Yes, what do you want to talk about?" Rook replied.

"I've-" Ben faltered for a second, "I've been having really bad nightmares lately. I'm starting to think it's because of what - _we_ -did." He confessed with a sigh.

"What happens in them?" Rook asked, concern and another emotion Ben couldn't identify in his voice.

"In most of them one of my aliens are laying waste to a city and there's nothing I can do to stop them, either because I can't move, I can't get to them or my Omnitrix won't work. But sometimes…" Ben said, and shuddered flashes of his nightmares coming to mind.

"Yes?" Rook pressed when Ben didn't continue.

"Sometimes _I'm_ the alien laying waste to a city. I realize that I'm dreaming but I can't wake up and I can't control my actions. I'm just forced to sit there and watch as I do heinous things. I can't even look away or ignore what I'm seeing." Ben said, his voice cracking.

"I can tell you are very disturbed by this." Rook said, concerned. "But why not tell Gwen? She may be able to help you."

"I can't Rook. If she knew what we did -what _I_ did- she would think I was a monster." Ben said, tears welling in his eyes. "Besides, I must be strong for her, for everyone. No one can know how torn up I am. Just imagine if it got out that I'm messed up in the head, people would take advantage of that." Ben said, a few tears dripping down his cheeks. Sorrow and self-pity threatened to overwhelm him.

"Do you really think any of your family would tell others?" Rook said, trying to be the voice of reason.

"No." Ben admitted. "But that doesn't mean they wouldn't judge me." He argued. "What if they send me to therapy?" Ben asked and wiped his eyes.

"You know they cannot force you to do anything you do not want to. You would not allow it." Rook said, comfortingly.

There was a long pause, "How do _you_ deal with what we did?" Ben asked with a hint of desperation.

"I try not to think of it, though I will admit that I sometimes cannot sleep even after a long day." Rook admitted.

"Yeah, well I tried that. Didn't work out to well." Ben said, his voice hollow. There was another long silence until Ben asked, "Do you still miss her? His voice small and fragile.

"Yes. Still and for the rest of my life." Rook replied solemnly.

"I can't stand the fact that I did nothing." Ben confessed, squeezing his eyes shut against the images that threatened to break through to the surface.

"You _could not_ do anything Ben." Rook reasoned.

"I don't care!" Ben snapped. "I _should have_ done something." The guilt was tearing at Ben's chest and his throat felt like it was closing.

"You would have died." Rook said simply.

This took Ben off guard but eventually he said, "You'd be happier."

"It would just replace my sadness." Rook said, truthfully.

Another long pause. "What would you have done, if you were me?" Ben eventually asked.

"I do not know and I cannot know." Said Rook a note of absolution in his voice, it sounded like he told himself that a lot.

"That's a cop out." Ben said bitterly.

"Maybe, but it is the truth." Rook replied.

"I don't know what to do. I don't know how to calm the storm inside me. It's driving me insane." Ben confessed, vigorously rubbing his face in frustration.

"Get help. You are not alone and you do not have to fight by yourself." Rook answered.

"Maybe I should start by telling Gwen." Ben said, starting to come to terms with the fact that he needed help.

"That would be wise." Rook said, sage like.

"Thanks for talking with me." Ben said, truly thankful.

"You are welcome." Rook replied, Ben could hear the smile in his voice.

They said their goodbyes and Ben hung up. He could feel tears welling up in his eyes again, but instead of fighting it he let go and the tears come.

Ben wept, allowing all the guilt, shame, anger and sadness come and pass. It was hard, he wanted to stop many times, but it felt good as much as it hurt. All the thoughts that he had repressed came rushing to the surface, and even though it was hard he let them come and go, letting each thought the time it needed before letting it go. At some point Ben had become aware of a knocking on the door. Ben briefly considered not opening the door but eventually he swallowed his pride and opened the door, tears running silently down his cheeks.

It was Gwen, and her concerned face was the exact thing that he needed at that moment. He grabbed her, pulled her in close and sobbed on her shoulder. Gwen said nothing, just shushed him and rubbed his back. Eventually they made their way up to their room and they held each other until Ben finally ran out of tears and even a bit after that.

"Are you okay now?" Gwen eventually asked.

"Maybe not okay, but better." Ben replied, the first genuine smile he had in a while one his face.

"Do you want to talk about it now?" Gwen asked.

"Not right now, I'm still hurting." Ben replied. "But soon." He added at the disappointed look she gave him.

"You know I still haven't opened the present Kevin gave me. Think we should?" She asked, sitting up.

"Why would you want to?" Ben asked.

"I just want to see what he thought was important enough to start a fight for just to give me." Gwen replied. Ben just shrugged and muttered something noncommittal.

Gwen got up and left the room, coming back a minute later with a small wrapped box. She took off the card and read it out loud,

"To: Gwen

From: Kevin

Something that's only a tenth as beautiful as you."

Ben rolled his eyes at that. Gwen tore off the paper and saw that it was a jewelry case. She opened up the case and gasped, inside was a large purple crystal and a delicate gold chain. She picked the chain up and the crystal was pulled along, seemingly attached to it invisibly. As Gwen held it up the crystal started to gently spin and glow.

Gwen sighed and said, "Shame it was given to me by a brute." As she put it back in the box and closed the lid.

"You don't want it?" Ben asked.

"I don't want anything to do with him." Gwen replied and laid back down. "So, what is my present anyway?" Gwen asked.

"You'll just have to wait until tomorrow when we move to my house." Ben replied, clearly having fun with keeping the secret.

"You're such a jerk." Gwen joked and shoved Ben, he shoved her back and they wrestled.

Eventually Ben pinned Gwen and laughed. "Admit it, I win."

Gwen giggled and struggled, "Never!" she said and used her telekinesis to shove Ben off of her.

"Hey, that's cheating." Ben said and held up his Omnitrix, "I can't use powers so you can't either."

"Too bad." Gwen said and shoved him again with her telekinesis, this time he fell off the bed. "Whoops." She said and threw up a dome shield around her, Ben came jumping back on the bed. He landed on the shield and started slobbering on it. "Oh my God you're so gross!" She laughed.

"Open up so I can eat you!" Ben said, still trying to eat the shield and getting it wet.

Gwen changed the shield into a bubble, incasing Ben. "Ha, I win." She said and blew a raspberry at Ben.

"I'll get out of here!" Ben said and started shoving at the edges of his makeshift cage. In response Gwen shrunk the sphere, Ben yelped but still continued to struggle. Eventually it was so small that Ben was forced into the fetal position, unable to move an inch. Gwen looked up at him with a cocky grin. "Fine you win." He mumbled, his face pressed against the forcefield.

Gwen laughed and let the magic go, dropping Ben two feet to the bed. Ben landed with a thud and then bounced off the bed landing with a harder thud. Ben crawled back on the bed and said, "You cheated so I still win." They laughed and eventually agreed it was a draw.

Soon after that Ben had to go and cook dinner, with Gwen volunteering to help. It was around 8 o'clock when dinner was finished and everyone was grateful for the wonderful meal. After dinner Max said his goodbyes and left, and shortly after that everyone went to their rooms to sleep.

"Hey Ben, I was lying when I said your present was a kiss." Gwen said as she closed the door behind them.

"What's my gift then?" Ben asked with a smile.

"Go lay on the bed, close your eyes and wait." Gwen demanded, and Ben complied.

Ben laid on the bed with his hands over his eyes for several minutes, he was starting to wonder if Gwen was playing a prank on him when her voice rang out in a sultry tone, "Alright, open your eyes."

Ben gasped and blushed, standing in front of him was Gwen wearing a hot pink negligee that was see through. It clung to her frame like a web. She had turned off the lights and wrapped colored Christmas lights around her shoulders. He could see that she wasn't wearing a bra or underwear, he could see it all.

"Well, come on and get your present." She said when Ben did nothing for several seconds. _"this is a real-life fantasy."_ Ben thought as he got up off the bed and walked over to Gwen. He couldn't speak and he lifted her chin, bent down, and kissed her deeply.

They melted into each other as they kissed, Ben grabbed her by the waist and pulled her even closer. Gwen breathed in the hot air feeling lightheaded, she could feel Ben's erection pressing against her.

Ben reached up and pulled off her shoulder straps, the dress and the lights dropped to the ground with a gentle clatter. They broke away and Gwen took off Ben's shirt, both of them breathing fast, their heads swimming with lust. Ben picked Gwen up and she wrapped her legs around his waist. The started to make out again, Ben stumbling slowly towards the bed.

Ben tossed Gwen on the bed and pinned her, his pelvis grinding against hers. She let out a soft moan as he kissed her neck and behind her ear. "shh" was all Ben said as he kissed her on the lips again. He pressed his fingers down her sides, all the way down to her hips and then grabbed them tight, pulling her even closer.

A beep stopped them, it was the Omnitrix. "What?" Ben said, confused as he looked at it. Azmuth was calling. Ben answered it saying, "What do you want Azmuth?"

"Don't you give me attitude Tennyson! Why didn't you call me?" He snapped, sounding furious.

"Call you about what?" Ben replied, confused.

"About the Omnitrix not working, you idiot!" Azmuth yelled.

"I-I-I" Ben stuttered, now very flustered. "I thought it would fix itself?" He said like a question. "It just said it's recharging." He said, feeling the need to defend himself.

"I'm coming over there!" Azmuth growled. "Be ready for me first thing in the morning!" and with that he hung up.

"I think I'm in trouble." Ben said, a stunned look on his face.

And with that all lust left the room, Gwen was disappointed but relived at the same time. Ben was just embarrassed. Gwen threw on an overlarge shirt and they went to sleep, cuddling.

TBC…

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I hope you liked this chapter. Please leave a comment letting me know what you think. To 'loveablecub' if you read this, I hope you like it as well and please let me know what you think. (GD)

Well that chapter went all over the place emotionally. I hope you had as much fun reading it as we did writing it (YD)

Oh, and Merry Christmas!


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11**

The next morning Ben woke up to Azmuth jumping on his stomach. He was about to swat the offending object until he realized who it was. "I'm here doing you a favor, so I thought you'd be considerate enough to wake up early. I suppose I should have known better." Azmuth said in his usual tone of arrogance and superiority. "Now, what did you do to the Omnitrix?" He asked, grabbing Ben by the wrist and starting to mess with it.

"I-" Ben started but was interrupted by Azmuth.

"My God, the half the circuits are fried, and 80 percent of subroutines are malfunctioning." He said, glaring at Ben.

"I didn't do this!" Ben shouted, feeling like he was ten again.

"Just who did this then?" Azmuth asked, raising an eyebrow.

"It was Kevin, he shot me with some weird gun and it messed the Omnitrix up. Said it was designed to." Ben said.

"Hmm…well, lets get the Omnitrix fixed first." Azmuth said, pulling out a small device and hooking it up to the Omnitrix. He started muttering under his breath, several times Ben could have sworn that he heard Azmuth curse. "Infertility subroutine…" Ben heard him mutter.

"Wait what!" Ben asked, pulling back his wrist, sending Azmuth tumbling. "Did you just say infertility subroutine?"

"Yes, I did." Azmuth said, getting up. He sighed at the nasty look that Ben gave him and explained, "Look, when the first Omnitrix fused with you it mutated your DNA, it had to unless it wouldn't work. That mutation happens to also effect your sex cells. If you had a baby with her," Azmuth said, pointing to Gwen "yes, I know, I'm no idiot, there would be a vast likelihood that your baby would not be purely human. If that mutation happened to produce an offspring with incompatible DNA with human DNA then there could be serious consequences. Death of mother and baby kind of serious, Ben. It was necessary." He said, his arms folded behind his back. He was clearly not sorry and would never be sorry.

"I…I…" Ben stammered, "you could have told me," Ben said, his voice carrying a kind of grief. "Can you fix it? Can you fix me?" He asked, his face pleading.

Azmuth shook his head no, "The mutations are permanent, so the risk is permanent. You will never have a child." His voice was grim and absolute.

Ben's stomach dropped, he held out his arm so Azmuth could work on the Omnitrix. Ben had never thought about having kids, never planned, but being told that it was impossible for him, it hurt him on a fundamental level. A level that every being that reproduced could understand. Ben felt Gwen touch his shoulder, he looked over at her, silently pleading. He didn't want it to be true.

"Are you okay?" Gwen whispered.

Ben shook his head and said, "I don't have much of a choice. So, you know, even if I wasn't okay there's no reason being upset about it." Gwen just looked concerned, she wasn't believing his positive tone.

There was a beep that came from the Omnitrix. "There." Azmuth grunted. "When you find that weapon bring it to me. I'll make sure to improve the Omnitrix to resist it." Ben nodded in agreement, gazing at the Omnitrix sullenly. Azmuth left without another word.

"I guess I don't need condoms anymore." Ben joked but sighed when Gwen didn't laugh with him. He laid down and covered his eyes with his arms. "This sucks." Ben said with a heavy sigh. "So how do you feel about this?" Ben asked with a sideways glance to Gwen who had laid down beside him.

"I don't know. I guess I'm shocked. I suppose I always assumed I'd have a kid one day, I don't really know how to feel right now." Gwen said and sighed. "You're right, this sucks." After a few tense seconds of silence, she said, "I suppose packing can wait for a bit."

Ben sat up quickly. "Shoot, I completely forgot. Come on, let's get busy. You'll get your Christmas gift as soon as we get there." Ben said, getting up and grabbing both his and Gwen's suitcases. Gwen shrugged and helped. "Ugh! I know we got presents and all, but I didn't think it'd be so hard to everything packed." Ben said as he struggled to close an overfilled suitcase. Ben cursed and took a step back.

"No need to get so upset, just rearrange some stuff." Gwen said as she zipped one of her own full suitcases.

"No way, that'll take way too long." Ben said while queuing up an alien. Ben went Four arms and picked up the offending suitcase. He used two arms to squeeze it even and another to zip it shut. "Ha! I knew I could get it closed." Four arms laughed, holding the suitcase victoriously in the air. Gwen laughed and shook her head.

Overall it took an hour to gather up all the various things that had migrated around the house in the month that they had been there and pack it all up. They started loading Ben's car, on their last trip out Ben's mother and Gwen's mother were waiting in the living room. "Did you really think you'd get out of here without saying goodbye?" Natalie asked, a hand on her hip but a smile on her face.

"Of course not." Gwen said, giving her mother a big hug.

"Be safe dear." Natalie said before letting Gwen go. She had tears in her eyes.

"Oh, don't cry, I'm not going away forever. We'll all hang out all the time." Gwen said, her own eyes starting to water. She gave her mother a reassuring smile. They hugged again.

Ben's mother surprised him with a hug. "Don't think you're leaving without a hug mister." She joked.

"Why I'd never." Ben said with a laugh. He returned the hug with a smile.

"Don't go losing that smile." Sandra said as she let Ben go.

"I won't, I promise." Ben said taking a step back. They left slowly, being slowed by the constant goodbyes and waves. Ben put the last two suitcases in the back of his car and turned to see Gwen standing, looking up at the house. "What's wrong?" He asked, walking up to her.

"I'm not the only one who started to think of this as home, right?" Gwen asked, not looking at Ben.

Ben looked at the house and thought of it. "Of course not." He said, wrapping his arms around her waist and resting his chin on the top of her head. "Hell, my house doesn't even feel like home." He sighed. They stood like that for a minute, neither on of them wanting to get in the car. Eventually it was Ben who said, "Come on, it's cold out here. We need to get going." Gwen nodded silently and got in the car with him.

The ride to Ben's house was awkwardly silent up until Ben turned on the radio, just to try and ease the tension that suddenly built up. A song came on the Gwen recognized and she started singing it under her breath. Ben smiled, she was a good singer. He wanted to sing along too so he took a chorus to semi-memorize the lyrics and when it came up again started singing it loudly and incorrectly with a stupid grin on his face. Gwen jumped when he did this and gave him a dirty look but quickly smiled when she realized what he was doing. She sang louder, really getting into the music. They jammed together for the rest of the trip, even to songs they didn't know, it was a lot of fun.

In between songs, when the radio host came on, Ben pulled a blindfold out from his pocket and handed it to Gwen. "Here, put this on, we're almost to my house." Ben pulled off onto a small, forested road that wasn't labeled. The trees were close together and if it had been summer, they would have created a canopy over the road. Ben almost regretted that the first time Gwen would see the drive would be in winter, it really was gorgeous in summer.

"Alright, you can take off the blindfold." Ben said. Gwen giggled excitedly and took the blindfold off. Right in front of them was a deep green sports car, it had two black stripes down the middle, and on top of the car was a giant red bow.

"You got me a car?" Gwen asked, a wide smile on her face.

"Yeah, I called in a favor. Didn't realize that they had already customized it for me until I got it, sorry." Ben said, apologetically.

Gwen shook her head. "It's perfect." She said as she got out of the car. She gave Ben a tight hug when he approached her. "Thank you so much." Gwen said as she looked up into Ben's eyes, Ben blushed and smiled.

"It's no big deal." He said as he glanced away coyly. "Come on, I should give you a tour of the house." He opened the door and turned on the light.

"You don't lock your door?" Gwen asked, noticing that he didn't use a key.

"Oh, no. The lock's activated by the Omnitrix, but there's a hard lock for other people. The keys are inside." Ben explained. He stepped into the chilly house, he hoped it didn't get too cold for his fish. He made it his priority while Gwen was looking around the house which he knew she would.

"This is the living room." Ben said with a sweep of his arms. The room was decorated in brown, earthy tones with pops of green for interest. "That's the seating area." He said, pointing to a recessed seating pit lined with soft, brown, faux leather, couches on three sides. "That's the media center with kick ass surround sound." He boasted and pointed to a large entertainment center across the room from the seating so anyone sitting would have a great view. It sported a monstrous 110-inch T.V as its center piece. The entertainment center had many slots that were filled with game systems, knickknacks and even a couple awards.

"There's the fish tank." Ben said, pointing to a large fish tank that was full of overgrown live plants. There were artificial caves and pieces of driftwood to provide more cover than just the plants growing there. There was a series of overhead lamps that were currently turned on. "The lights are on a timer and it's a self-sustaining ecosystem. Ever since I got it right, I haven't even needed to feed them. Though the water's getting a bit low, so I'll have to fix that." He explained, saying the last part more to himself than to Gwen. "And over there is where I keep my games and movies." Ben said, pointing behind him to a sizable bookcase filled with CD cases of all sizes, though it did seem to be organized. Gwen noticed that between each section there was a chibi vinyl figurine of one of his aliens.

Ben rounded a corner that led to a short hallway, Gwen followed close behind. The walls were lined with family photos and pictures from their vacations. She noticed that she was featured prominently though she wasn't in every picture. The hall opened into another hallway, this one with several doors. Right in front of them were ornate swinging doors that showed tile behind them.

"Let's go to the kitchen first." Ben said, walking through the swinging doors. The first thing that caught Gwen's eye was the large island counter in the center of the room. The room was decorated with earthy tones here as well, but they skewed more towards yellow instead of brown. There was an eight-burner gas stove and a copper farmhouse sink. One thing that stuck out to Gwen was the fact that there were two large refrigerators next to each other, they looked identical. When she asked about that Ben responded, "One for Earth food and drink, the other for alien food and drink. It was Rebecca's idea, 'That way you can have a variety of all sorts of foods.' She said." He nodded to himself. "Good idea, really." He added.

"Onto the dining room." Ben said, walking through an archway that led to a formal dining room. The main centerpiece was a large crystal chandelier that hung over an oval table made from some dark wood. There were currently six chairs at the table, but it looked like it could extend. The walls in here were white, with the same dark wood used for the crown molding and the baseboards.

"I have to ask; did you design the rooms?" Gwen asked, impressed by the interior decorating she had seen so far.

"I mean, I did the lay out and I had a say on the final look but most of the decorating was Rebecca's idea. She said that if she was going to live with us, she wanted it to look nice and," He threw up air quotes with a harsh tone. "Not like a man cave." Ben laughed. "Of course, Rook was like putty in her hands. I must admit she did have an eye for design." He pointed to a sliding glass door. "That leads out to the deck. Patio? Porch? Uh…you know what I mean." Ben stammered, blushing slightly. He opened the door and let Gwen step through first.

The door led into a large covered deck. It was covered with large glass panels, making it more like an attached greenhouse than anything. "As you can see, we got a heated pool for all your swimming pleasures." Ben said with a playful bow. "And when I say heated, I mean it." He said with a wink to Gwen who chuckled. "Got a grill over there for when I'm in the mood to burn something." He pointed to a large, fancy grill. "Seriously, unless you like charcoal I wouldn't suggest eating my ribs." Gwen rolled her eyes. "What not funny?" he asked.

"You're awesome in the kitchen, why wouldn't you be able to grill?" Gwen asked.

Ben shrugged. "One of the mysteries of the universe." He said sarcastically. "We got outdoor seating and some beautiful views." Ben said, pointing behind him to a picknick bench. The bench was cool, but the view was marvelous. They sat atop a hill that swooped down gently. The forest seemed to be grown on top of a current that was frozen mid wave. The hills sloped up and down gently, causing the trees to do the same. Snow coated the forest, making it even more beautiful. Gwen thought it looked like a photo from a postcard, something you'd mail to make other people jealous of the view you have. "Yeah, you should see it on a clear night. I've been known to sleep out here." Ben said, seeing her awe.

"We got a garden over there." Ben said, pointing to the right. There was a wooden planter box that took up a whole wall. In it were various vegetables and fruit bushes. Ben walked over to a tiki bar and grabbed some dummy bottles. "And I've been trying my hand at making drinks now that I can purchase alcohol." He started twirling the empty bottle.

"And how are you at that?" Gwen asked.

Ben started juggling bottles. "Pretty good, but I can do stuff no other bartender can." He went Wildvine and started showing off, using the vines to make two different cocktails at the same time. A bottle of vodka dropped to the ground when Wildvine twirled it. "Shoot." He griped. "Oh well I was done with that anyway." He shrugged. He poured the two drinks into glasses and pushed one over to Gwen.

Gwen took the vividly red drink that was garnished with pomegranate seeds that sat at the bottom. "What is it?" she asked.

"I call it a fire blast." Ben said. Gwen took a sip and was immediately punched in the face with the taste of cinnamon. The drink was strong, and it burned on the way down but left a pleasant, fruity, sour aftertaste.

"I can see why you call it that." Gwen said, coughing from the burn. "Very strong." She said and took another sip. Now that she was expecting it the drink was pretty good. "Might work better as a shot though." She added. Ben took a sip of his own drink, a sweet, blue concoction of his own design.

"Shall we continue with the tour?" Ben asked as Gwen finished her drink. Gwen nodded so Ben led her back through the kitchen and into the main hall. "Through door number one we have," he opened the door dramatically. "What was once a bedroom, now my trophy room." Ben said while turning on the lights. Hundreds of trophies and medals were hung, put on bookshelves and some even had their own pedestals. Studio lights hung down from the ceiling illuminating the polished awards. "It's a pain in the ass to dust in here." Ben said and turned the lights back off.

He walked across the hall to the next room. "Door number two." He said like a gameshow host. "A bedroom…" He said, trailing off. The bedroom was all but empty, save for a few random pieces of junk that were left behind. "This used to be Rook's room." Ben explained, he turned on the lights showing that the room was painted a deep navy blue with a hand painted galaxy running along the top of the wall. "I can't believe he took the mattress." He said sadly, he closed the door without stepping inside.

He crossed the hall again and put his hand on the handle. He took a deep breath and opened the door. "You can go in there by yourself." Ben said, leaning against the wall with his head bowed. Gwen walked into the room and turned on the lights. It was a nursery. It was done in soft pinks and there were the magenta silhouettes of fairies dancing on the wall. A pile of stuffed animals laid in one corner and a beautiful white crib in another.

Gwen had the sensation that she was intruding in a shrine and left the room once she took it all in. "What is that?" Gwen asked.

"I don't want to talk about it." Ben replied darkly, Gwen respected the boundary and didn't press the subject. He would talk about it when he was ready.

They walked directly across the hall to one of the last doors that was on either side. Ben didn't have any witty remarks, just opened the door and walked inside. "Here's the office. It can also be used as a guest bedroom." Ben said, with a wave to the daybed. There were two high end computers on either side of the office and a bookshelf on the wall between them. The bookshelf was filled with books, some that were obviously comics and manga others that looked more scholarly. There were several gaps in the bookshelf that looked out of place. "I see Rook took his books." Ben commented.

"Come on this next one's exciting!" Ben said, the sparkle back in his eyes. He took Gwen by the hand and guided her next door, to an elevator. He pressed the only button, a down arrow, and the stainless-steel doors opened to a carpeted and drywalled elevator. It was painted a brilliant emerald green. They got inside and rode it down; the trip was longer than Gwen expected it to be. The electric display lit up, "VR" Gwen gave Ben a questioning look, but he just smiled.

The doors opened into a dark room. Ben looked at Gwen expectantly and she cautiously stepped into the dark room, her footsteps echoed. "Lights, on." Ben said behind Gwen. Bright lights flooded the room, making Gwen flinch from the sudden change. They were in a large, tall, empty stark white room.

"Uh…impressive?" Gwen said, confused.

"Oh! That's right. I forgot to show you the main attraction." Ben said, playfully. "Run the program in slot two." He said in a clear voice. Suddenly the room changed, there was a flicker of color before they were standing on a beach at night. Gwen sank down into the loose soil slightly. She could smell the salt in the air and feel the wind as it whipped across her face. She reached down to grab a handful of sand, it was cold and damp. She brought the sand up and let it flow through her fingers.

"I- what is this?" Gwen asked.

"My own personal holodeck." Ben said with a wide grin. "Strictly speaking I'm only supposed to use it to train in different situations but, uh, what's the fun in that?" Ben laughed. "And not technically a holodeck but it's close enough for me." He clarified.

"Run the program in slot one." Ben commanded, again the environment seemed to glitch out before being replaced. This time they were in a large gym with a wrestling ring in the center. "This is where I get my exercise," Ben explained. "and spar with opponents." He walked over next to the elevator door, which was now visible, and pulled off a panel beside it. He pressed a few buttons and replaced the cover.

"What did you do?" Gwen asked. Ben pointed behind her where Vilgax stood in the center of the ring. She jumped and brought up her mana for a second before she realized that he wasn't moving at all. "That's so cool." Gwen said, walking up to the ropes. "He looks so real." She added, crawling onto the elevated wrestling ring.

"Wait!" Ben exclaimed but it was too late, as soon as she entered the ring the Vilgax was brought to life. He grabbed for Gwen who responded by throwing a disk of mana at him. Vilgax stumbled back but kept coming. "Just get out of the ring!" Ben called as Gwen shot volley after volley at Vilgax. She heeded Ben's advice and vaulted over the ropes, landing with a roll. As soon as she crossed the border Vilgax froze again.

"That was so cool!" Gwen exclaimed. "But something felt off." She added.

"Yeah." Ben said. "The virtual opponents are very robotic in their actions. They work but I have to get around to improving the A.I." He said.

"Did you program this?" Gwen asked.

Ben shook his head. "No, but I am working on one right now. Azmuth made the programs with every intent of me only training with them. I think he knew we'd mess around with it." Ben said with a laugh.

"What program are you working on?" Gwen asked.

Ben crossed his arms and looked away. "I'll show you when it's done." He said. "Virtual Room off." Ben said, the room flickered and then returned to its original white form. "There's only one room left." Ben said and stepped into the elevator.

The last door was at the very end of the hall. "Welcome," Ben said as he grabbed the handle. "to my room." He said and opened the door. They entered the room, Ben going to the middle and spreading his arms as if to say, "that's it." The room was nice, if not sparsely furnished for its size. The walls were white with intricate patterns painted with lime green. The patterns swirled around the room and if Gwen stared at them for too long, she could swear they were moving. The baseboards were so dark they were almost black. In fact, all the wood in the room was stained such a dark color. There was a king-sized bed, the posts were carved into spirals. There was a nightstand on either side of the bed. There was a large armoire that faced the bed. A large window had its curtains drawn, letting the cold winter light to flood into the room.

"So, what's up with the pattern?" Gwen asked, finding it weird that Ben would be willing to let something so abstract be in his room.

"It's all my name in different alien dialects that I found to be cool looking." Ben said seriously.

"Wait, really?" Gwen asked, incredulously.

Ben doubled over laughing. "Nah, I'm just fucking with you." Ben laughed. Eventually he regained his composure and said, "No, Rebecca tricked me into agreeing to this eye sore." Ben said, his tone slowly dropping to serious.

"Why not paint over it?" Gwen asked.

Ben shrugged. "Don't feel like it, I guess." He said, obviously trying to cover up hurt emotions. "Besides, it's kinda cool sometimes. Try spinning!" He put on a smile and spun in place a few times. He stared intently at the wall. Gwen shrugged and did the same, when she looked at the wall that pattern swam in front of her eyes, bringing in new patterns as she watched. She closed her eyes and shook her head, it had to be a good optical illusion. Really creepy, but good.

"We should probably unpack." Ben eventually said. Gwen agreed wanting something to distract her from the sudden tension. She felt a shiver run down her spine when she passed the nursery. Ben went Four Arms to help expedite the process, Gwen picked up one of her suitcases. It took hours to fully unpack because they had to decide where new things were going to go.

Ben opened the fridge and then recoiled as the smell of something rotten hit him. He gagged and closed the door. "Looks like it's going to be pizza tonight!" Ben called to Gwen. He cursed himself for forgetting to throw out the perishables before leaving. "Just add it to the list of things to do." Ben sighed to himself. He sullenly ordered the pizzas, remembering what Gwen liked on her pizza from years ago. After he ordered it, he considered that she may not still like it. If she didn't Ben would gladly get her a new one.

Until it was time to leave, he took care of his fish tank, it took several buckets of water to get it back to the appropriate level. When he was done, he went to find Gwen to let her know he was leaving; she was in the office. "Hey, I'm going to pick up the pizzas, do you want to come with?" He asked.

Gwen looked up from the book she was thumbing through. "Oh, no thank you." She said with a smile and then started reading again. "I'm just going to read here if that's all the same to you." Gwen added. They said their goodbyes and Ben went Big Chill he disappeared through the floors.

When Gwen was sure he was gone she closed the book and sighed. There were strange energies coming from the nursery and she wouldn't be able to get comfortable until she figured out the reason. She cautiously approached the nursery door and stopped just short of grabbing the handle. The room gave her anxiety just to be around. She took a deep breath in and out and grabbed the handle.

Gwen entered the nursery and turned on the lights. Looking around it looked completely normal, but it felt so wrong. She slowly walked around the room, looking at everything closely. When she found nothing physical that could explain the bad vibes, she looked at the mana of the room. "Oh my." Gwen gasped. In the center of the room, sitting in the rocking chair, was Rook. He had his head bowed and it looked like he was holding something in his arms.

Gwen approached the phantom, unsure if it would react to her. She sat on the ground in front of him and saw that he was crying. He slowly rocked an invisible baby and sobbed. Gwen was filled with emotions that were not her own, a deep emotional pain of a lost child. She felt hopeless, like nothing could possibly get better. Tears ran down her cheeks as a fresh wave of pain hit her, the pain of losing a lover. She felt like her soul was ripped from her. The thought of suicide crossed her mind and she fled the room, the further away she got the less the emotions hit her.

She sat on the couch and processed what just happened. She knew that strong emotions can sometimes get stuck in a place and it would be like a snapshot of the event. She had only seen it herself once before and it wasn't that intense. Gwen didn't know if it was intense because of how strong the emotions were or how recent the scene happened. That room was haunted by a person who was still alive, and Gwen didn't know how to fix it.

Just as Gwen calmed down fully Big Chill drifted in through the wall, carrying two pizzas. "Oh, there you are. Thought you'd still be in the office." Big Chill said as he put down the pizzas. He deactivated the Omnitrix. "Are you okay?" Ben asked, noticing that Gwen's smile didn't reach her eyes.

"Yeah, of course." Gwen said. "Hey what did you get me?" She asked, changing the subject.

"Pepperoni and banana pepper." Ben said, grabbing the box and opening it dramatically in front of her.

"You grabbed the wrong box." Gwen said with a chuckle. Ben looked down to see his pizza, peperoni and sausage with extra cheese. He chuckled, embarrassed and grabbed the other box. Gwen took the box laughing. "You're such a dweeb."

"Oh yeah? Well I'll show you. Come here!" Ben laughed and pounced on Gwen, pinning her to the couch. Ben sat up and wiggled his fingers ominously.

"You wouldn't dare!" Gwen hissed. Ben laughed evilly and tickled Gwen's sides. She laughed, screamed and writhed, trying to get out from underneath Ben. "You're so heavy!" Gwen exclaimed between laughs. "Get off!" She begged.

"Am I still a dweeb?" Ben asked, not letting up on his assault.

"You are the biggest dweeb!" Gwen retorted.

"Wrong answer!" Ben playfully shouted and tickled her neck. Gwen bucked her hips, throwing Ben off balance. She bucked up again and threw Ben over her, he landed on his back with a grunt. Gwen sat up, panting, and they both started laughing. "That was a good move." Ben complemented. "Oh no, the pizzas!" Ben exclaimed seeing the pizza boxes on the ground. They were a bit messed up but luckily, they didn't come out of their box.

They sat on the couch, eating pizza and watching T.V. They cuddled, Gwen laying her head on Ben's lap. She looked up at Ben as he watched the show, the light danced across his face dazzlingly. He absentmindedly took a bite of pizza and burst out laughing because of a joke that just played. Gwen smiled, not because of the show, but because of Ben. In her mind this moment was perfect, and her heart swelled with love for him.

Gwen sat up with a sudden realization, this provoked a "hmm" out of Ben. She cupped Ben's face in her hands and kissed him. He tensed up for a moment before leaning into the kiss. Gwen broke away and gave him a seductive smile. "I'm ready if you are." She said, placing a hand on his thigh and leaning in close.

"Ready?" Ben echoed and then his eyes widened. "Oh! Are you sure?" He asked, his heart fluttering. Gwen answered him with a kiss, they fell back onto the couch. Ben wrapped his arms around her waist and she grabbed on to his shoulders. They took their time, exploring each other with kisses and soft touches. Eventually they made their way to the bedroom, a trail of clothes behind them.

They fell onto the bed with Ben on top. Gwen shuddered, her face flush and a smile wrinkling her nose. She let out a moan as Ben kissed her neck and ran his hand through her hair. She gasped as Ben entered her, her body offering little resistance. Ben grabbed her under her arms and pulled her up to his chest as he moved still latched onto her neck.

Gwen closed her eyes, enjoying every little sensation. It felt like her skin danced with sparks and every slight touch felt more intense. She held on to the small of Ben's back, she never wanted to let go. Ben seemed to gain confidence as he found a good rhythm. He laid her back down and pounded into her hard, making Gwen moan and dig her nails into his back.

Every moment was bliss, her head swam erasing all doubts and replacing them with joy and love. With every thrust Ben made sparks crawl through her stomach. The pleasure built, eventually reaching a crescendo. Gwen screamed in ecstasy as she climaxed, all self-control and restraint gone. She wrapped her legs around his waist, controlling every movement he made, Ben was more than happy to oblige. Gwen was close to coming again when Ben bit down on her neck and gave one last thrust. The pain and pleasure mixed together and sent Gwen over the edge. She held him there, inside her, while she came, unwilling to let him go.

Eventually her muscles relaxed, and she let go of Ben, her arms and legs falling heavily. Ben laid beside Gwen, both breathing heavily. Gwen laid on Ben's chest, listening to his heart that was still beating fast. As she fell asleep, she mumbled "I love you, Ben." Ben's only response was to wrap his arms around her and hold her close.

TBC...

* * *

I hope you liked this chapter. Please leave a comment letting me know what you think. To 'loveablecub' if you read this I hope you like it as well and please let me know what you think. (GD)


	12. Chapter 12

**Ok, I got the idea for this story after reading another fan fiction by 'loveablecub' the story was called 'A Year Love and Trials' I tried to just take the idea of the story and make it my own but I am still giving credit where credit is due. (GD)**

 **Chapter 12**

Ben and Gwen were cuddling on the couch watching T.V when suddenly Gwen had a thought. "Hey, it'll be new years in a couple days, right?" She asked, looking up at Ben.

"Yeah, what about it?" Ben asked absentmindedly, absorbed in the show.

"How about we throw a party to celebrate?" Gwen asked and when Ben didn't reply she poked him in the stomach. "Ben!" She snapped.

"What? Oh, a party? I don't know, it's been a while since I've even talked to people." He looked uncomfortable, refusing to look at Gwen.

"This could be your big debut back into the general populace." Gwen said with a reassuring squeeze of his knee. Ben didn't look convinced. "Come on, you've secluded yourself for long enough. It might be good for you to get back out there and be the social doofus I know and love." Gwen sat up and turned Ben's head to look at her. "It can be something small, just a few plumbers and our family. How about that?"

Ben sighed but smiled, finally caving into Gwen. "Deal." They sealed the deal with a kiss.

"Besides," Gwen said as she cuddled against Ben's chest. "this house seems specially designed for hosting parties."

"You're not wrong." Ben said. "A few features in the house makes hosting a party much easier." He paused, lost in thought for a second, "But it was too much a pain in the ass to keep throwing parties only to be the one responsible for cleaning up."

Gwen could see the smile on his lips was fake, it didn't reach his pained eyes. She was curious what had him so upset but decided to let him have his secret for now. "I love you." She said as she snuggled into him closer. She was getting tired of the secrets he hid but scared to pry, their relationship was so fresh and fragile. No, for now everything was okay.

"I love you too." Ben said and kissed Gwen on the top of her head.

Gwen sat down at the computer desk, a sticky note with Ben's complicated password in hand. It was two days before the party, and she was tasked with sending the invitations.

"New Year's Eve party!

When: New Year's Eve: 5:00 pm

Where: Ben's house, if you can't find it you can't come.

Bring food and booze so we have more than enough. If you plan on drinking bring your I.D."

She sent out a mass email to all of the plumbers currently stationed on Earth, but she was sure that plenty of other people would be dragged along as well. She smiled, excited for the party, while spending so much quality time with Ben was wonderful, she was starting to miss other people. She had been quite social at college and had a large group of friends. She sighed, wishing she could invite them, but she agreed with Ben; it was better if they didn't give out their address. Anyone who could find Ben's address could be trusted with the information and it wasn't posted on the side of the house so anyone who was dragged along would have a hard time finding it again.

"Hey, are you done with that, I need help in the kitchen." Ben said, poking his head in the door. Gwen turned around and smiled when she saw that his face was covered in flour.

"I can see that." Gwen snickered. "Yeah, I'm done." She said as she got up. When Gwen got into the kitchen, she saw that the kitchen was a wreck. Flour was spattered everywhere, the epicenter being a large mixing bowl with a hand blender next to it. "What did you do?" Gwen asked, holding in a laugh.

"I put too much flour in at once." Ben said. "I got a lot of things to handle at once and I thought that maybe you'd like to cook with me." He explained. "I mean, I could just use Ditto, but I figured I'd offer first." He added with a shrug.

Gwen smiled. "Sounds like fun." She said, and they got started cooking everything that could be prepared ahead of time. When they were done, they relaxed in the heated pool, being more like a jacuzzi than a pool. "Oh, that reminds me!" Gwen said, suddenly. "I was wondering if I could invite some of my friends from campus."

"Did you trust them enough to tell them about 'Lucky Girl'?" Ben asked.

Gwen flinched. "Harsh." She mumbled, dejected. "No." She admitted with a sigh. She had been very secretive about her crime fighting persona and hadn't told anyone. It was a fair enough point she supposed. After a minute of comfortable silence Gwen got on Ben's lap, straddling him. "Wanna have some fun?" Gwen giggled.

Ben blushed and smiled. "We should probably get out of the pool first." He joked.

It was just an hour before the party started and they had spent most of the day cooking together. Many dishes laid spread out across the dining room table. "Ugh, where is it?" XLR8 muttered to himself as he zoomed around the house, opening every drawer he could find and tossing everything out as he looked through them. Gwen followed behind him, cleaning up after him. "Ha-ha!" XLR8 said victoriously, holding up a small, white remote.

"What is that?" Gwen asked as she levitated everything Ben had tossed out back in the drawer.

He went back human. "Come here and watch this!" Ben said excitedly as he ran out of the room. Gwen followed him into the living room. "This house was made to party." Ben said, clicking the button dramatically. Out of the walls near the ceiling popped out several large speakers. Behind the couch a hidden compartment opened, and a DJ booth rose out of the floor. The couch was covered by a dancefloor that slid over it. From the ceiling dropped down several spotlights that all focused on the dancefloor. Ben looked so impressed with himself, a wide grin that Gwen hadn't seen on his face in a long time.

Gwen smiled. "It's amazing." She said, her eyes watering. She was so happy to see him look so happy; this party is going to be exactly what he needed. "How did you set this up?" She asked.

"The house was built with these features in mind. That's why the couch is recessed." Ben explained walking over to the DJ booth. "Mind getting the lights?" Ben asked. Gwen turned off the lights and drew the blackout curtains. For a second everything was dark before the spot lights came on. "I can control everything from here." Ben said as the lights turned green. A simple beat started playing and Gwen could see Ben focus. As the beat continued to play, he started to add different layers to it and Gwen watched as the song evolved. What started out as a slow, even mournful song, turned more upbeat. It reminded Gwen of a cautious victory, slow yet uplifting. The song cut out suddenly and the lights along with it. Gwen clapped and gave a small cheer then she opened the curtains to let in the light. "Ah, don't clap; I was awful." Ben said, rubbing the back of his head shyly. "I've gotten rusty."

"Well I still think it was wonderful." Gwen said, draping her arms around Ben's neck.

"You know we still got a bit before the guests start arrive and we're all set up." Ben said suggestively. He wrapped his arms around the small of Gwen's back and pulled her in close.

Gwen giggled. "I'm still sore from last night." She said, giving him a kiss on the lips. "But thanks for thinking of me." She teased, giving him a wink. They started to make out but was quickly interrupted when the doorbell rang.

"Is that a guest?" Ben asked, heading to the door. "The party's not for like, another hour." He opened the door. "Rook?" Ben said, shocked.

Rook gave a small nod and presented a bottle of champagne. "I wanted to show up early." He said, stepping in. "It is 4:30. Surely it is not rude to be thirty minutes early, especially for an old friend."

Ben's heart melted and he smiled. "Of course not, Rook." He said, giving his old comrade a hug. "Now, tell me how you've really been." Ben said with a laugh.

"I did not lie when we last spoke." Rook said and when Ben gave him an anxious smile he added, "I am doing wonderful. I am happy back on my home world. Has your mood changed since last we spoke?" He asked.

Ben understood what Rook was asking. "Not at all." Ben said cheerfully. "Come on, let's go put that in the fridge." He guided Rook into the kitchen, his arm around his shoulder.

When Rook saw all the food his stomach audibly growled. "I suppose I did miss your cooking." Rook said sheepishly.

"Well, let's eat. After all, you're the first guest." Ben said, grabbing a deviled egg and eating it.

"How many guests are you expecting?" Rook asked, helping himself to some chili fries.

"Well, I invited everyone who was currently stationed on Earth, so about 20 though we expect that more people will be dragged along." Gwen said. "Speaking of which how did you get the invitation."

"I admit, I hadn't cleaned out my contacts in a while." Ben said with an embarrassed chuckle. "Used to be that I was updated once a week with who was stationed here and would have to change accordingly. I got sick and tired of doing it so that list is months old."

"Just how many months?" Rook asked, darkly.

It took Ben a few seconds to realize what Rook was asking. "Oh… oh no." He said, his stomach sinking. "Do you think they'll show up? They don't know where I live."

"Let us hope not." Rook sighed.

"Come on! This is the first party I've thrown since…" He started cheerful but his voice cut out. He cleared his throat. "Well, I'm not going to have it ruined before it's even started. So, cheer up." He let out a chuckle while inwardly hating himself for cutting out. Thankfully the doorbell rang again, breaking the awkward silence.

Shortly after that the party picked up as guests flooded in sometimes ten at a time. Ben excused himself from a fresh batch of guests and went to his bedroom. "This calls for Ditto." Ben said to himself and went Ditto. He split himself into five and they all turned back human. "Okay, I'm going to name you after your tasks." Ben said and turned to each Ben in turn. "You'll be DJ, it should be obvious what you're going to be doing. You'll be Bar, you'll be bartending. You'll be Mingle, your job is to mingle around and make sure everyone is happy and having a good time, also you'll be responsible for breaking up fights if they happen. Finally, you'll be Host, you're going to sit outside and greet the guests as they come in. Everyone got it?" All copies of Ben nodded. "Awesome, let's go have fun." Ben said with a smile, leading them out.

Gwen watched as a team of Bens dispersed around the house. She was talking to a woman with oddly pink skin, but she wasn't paying her much mind. Gwen saw Rook slip away from the large crowd and head into the hallway. She excused herself and followed him. "Are you okay?" She asked when she saw Rook with his forehead to the nursery door.

Rook jumped and let out a gasp. "I am sorry Gwen, I did not see you." Rook seemed to realize that his comment was obvious and after a moment's pause carried on, "I am…just reminiscing." It sounded like a half truth.

Not wanting to confront him directly Gwen said, "Well, why not go into the room."

"It holds…uncomfortable memories." Rook muttered, looking down morosely.

Gwen placed a hand on Rook's shoulder. "I think it might help you. I'll come with you." Rook was still for a long time but eventually gave a small nod. Gwen put her hand on the knob and immediately could feel the emotions that haunted that room. She swallowed the lump in her throat and opened the door; she prayed that her plan would work. She guided Rook through the door, he was reluctant, and every step seemed to be an internal battle.

The room was still pristine, a morbid memorial to both mother and child. Gwen closed the door softly behind her and all the noise of the party was shut away. "I am glad Ben left it alone." Rook said taking in the room. "He did not have to." He walked over to a picture frame and picked it up. "You never met Rebecca, correct?" Rook asked.

"Correct." Gwen said, walking over to him.

Rook handed her the picture frame. "That is her." The woman in the picture had long, wavy brown hair. Her droopy eyes were a brilliant steel grey color. She had a heart shaped face and plump lips. "She is perfect." Rook sighed. Gwen's heart twisted with pity, _'was'_ she corrected in her head. Rook took the picture back and placed it carefully back on the dresser.

"Do you feel the sadness in this room?" Gwen asked.

"This room makes me sad, yes." Rook said.

Gwen shook her head. "No, that's not what I mean." She sighed, trying to think of a way to explain it to Rook. An idea came to mind, but she wasn't sure it would work. "Here, let me show you." She said, her hands being wrapped in mana.

"Show me? How?" Rooked asked, cocking his head to the side.

"If I may." Gwen said, gesturing with her hands to let him know she wanted to touch him. Rook looked skeptical but nodded. Gwen stepped behind him and put her hands on his temples. A shiver ran through them both as Gwen linked with Rook. She looked at the mana of the room, Rook's eyes glowing magenta just like her eyes. The connection was almost broken when Rook rushed towards the rocking chair, she had to run with him.

"This is impossible." Rook whispered reaching out to touch his mana clone. Just before he touched the specter, he pulled his hand away with a gasp. "Please, explain." Rook asked with a shuddering breath.

"Sometimes when strong emotions are connected to a room they stick around." Gwen said. She hated being this close to the chair. Her mind was being bombarded with thoughts of death and despair. She tried her best to focus on the real Rook.

"And…I caused this?" He asked.

Gwen nodded, "Yes, does this seem familiar in any way?" She needed to know if this was a memory or a representation.

Rook nodded slowly. "I- it was my lowest point. Just a few days after…she died…" His voice cracked, it seemed like he was struggling to say anything. "All I wanted was to see her again." He said after he cleared his throat. As if responding to Rook's presence the specter broke its repeating cycle of crying and rocking and looked dead ahead. Almost in a trance it grabbed something invisible off the floor. It didn't take much context to realize that the object was a gun. "I don't want to be here." Rook whined as his specter put the gun in its mouth. Both Rooks jumped and the real Rook turned to look at the door. Gwen was shocked to see a specter of Ben enter the room. Ben rushed over and tackled Rook, sending them both to the floor.

Rook stood up and watched the confrontation unfold in front of him. Gwen could see Ben had Rook pinned to the ground and was yelling at him, although Gwen could not hear what he was saying. "I just cannot do it anymore." The real Rook said, mirroring his double. Gwen realized that Rook was reliving the memory. "You do not understand, Ben." Rook said, his double pushing Ben off him. "I cannot live without her." Ben retorted, it looked like he was pleading with Rook. "What is the point?" Rook asked, his voice hollow. Ben placed a hand on his shoulder while he spoke. Both Rooks let out a broken sob as he hugged Ben. "You are right." He whispered. The scene before them dissolved, the mana drifting up and away.

"That went better than expected." Gwen said in disbelief. She let go of Rook and dispelled the mana she was using. "But it's gone, the sadness, I think it worked." Rook seemed frozen in place. Concerned, Gwen walked to face Rook, who was staring off into space. "Are you okay?" Gwen asked gently.

The question seemed to snap Rook out of his trance. "Yes, I am fine. I almost forgot that memory." Rook said, his voice still subdued.

"Are you going to be okay?" She asked.

Rook took a deep breath and nodded. "I will be fine, thank you. Come, there is a party calling my name." He said with a smile.

The party was going great, Host was greeting everyone, carded them and gave them either a red stamp if they were drinking or a black stamp if they weren't for whatever reason. Ben found that system worked the best after he was responsible for an accident after his first party. DJ quickly found his groove and went Echo-Echo showing off and making sure that everyone had good jams. He played mostly electronic and dubstep songs but threw in some pop songs for variety. Ben checked on Bar and saw that he had a long line. Ben went Wildvine and assisted him which drove the crowd wild. They juggled bottles between each other, pulling it off without a hitch, it seemed like have a crowd watch him made him better.

With Ben's help the line quickly dwindled down. "Thanks for the rescue." Bar chuckled. "Can I get you anything?" He asked.

Ben thought about it and said, "How about an Articguana."

"Coming right up." Bar said and got busy mixing the cocktail. It was a simple drink with heavy cream as its base. Vanilla vodka and peppermint schnapps gave it it's chilly kick and small blue sprinkles garnished it's top. The drink was shaken just enough for it to start foaming but not enough to turn it into soft peaks. It was designed to be served in a chilled glass, but because it was a party it was served in a simple red cup. When Ben took a sip, the foam melted in his mouth and the peppermint cooled his tongue.

When he went back inside, he literally bumped into Rook. "Sorry." Both said at the same time. Rook turned around and smiled. "Hello, Ben." Rook said, pleasantly.

Rook looked like he had just got done crying, his eyes were slightly bloodshot and the fur on his face was still visibly damp. "What's wrong?" Ben asked.

Rook looked confused for a moment and then felt his damp fur. "Oh." He chuckled. "Just reliving so old memories. I am fine now. Thank you." His tone of voice made Ben inclined to believe him.

"Alright." Ben said with a shrug. He was about to say something else when someone hugged him from behind. "Whoa!" Ben yelped, turning around to find a young woman attached to him at the waist. "Hey." Ben said, as politely as he could. "Could you let me go?" He tried to pry her off him.

"I just wanted to say that I'm so happy to finally be able to come to one of your _legendary_ parties!" The girl slurred, still hanging onto him. Her breath reeked of alcohol. Ben briefly wondered how she could have gotten so drunk in an hour before a more pressing matter came around; she started squeezing his butt.

"Okay there, you need to settle down." Ben said, equal parts embarrassed and angry. He pushed the drunk girl off him roughly and she stumbled back into someone else. "What's your name?" He asked, trying to keep a calm head. Although he was not happy that he dropped his drink.

"Natalie Portman." She replied wrapping her arms behind Ben's neck with a giggle. Ben hated the handsy drunk type because he was usually the one getting groped. Gwen came to the rescue, with a calm demeaner she unlatched the girl's hands from Ben and guided her a few steps back. "Who the fuck are you?" Natalie slurred.

"My name is Gwen, nice to meet you." Gwen said with a passive aggressive smile. She stepped in between Ben and Natalie. "Can you keep your hands to yourself or do you need to be escorted out?"

"Touch me and I'll lay you out." Natalie spat.

Gwen folded her arms. "No, you wouldn't." She scoffed.

Ben stepped in between them. "Let's just calm down, huh?" Ben said, trying to defuse the situation.

"I don't need you to fight my battles for me." Gwen scoffed.

"I'm not fighting your battles, I'm trying to make sure a battle doesn't take place." Ben said level-headedly. "Now, Natalie, I would hate to be a buzz kill but if you can't keep your hands to yourself, I will make you leave."

"But this is my only chance to get with you. I'm leaving soon and I won't be coming back." Natalie whined, tears welling up in her eyes.

Ben shook his head. "I'm taken, Natalie." He said gently. He felt sorry for her, but he was loyal to Gwen.

She let out a sob and covered her eyes with an arm. "I'm so stupid." She sobbed.

"Come on, you've had enough to drink. Let's get that stamp nullified." Ben said softly, holding out his hand with a smile. When the girl finally looked at him, she gave a small nod and took his hand. Ben led her back to the front door.

"Can I ask you something?" She asked softly on their way.

"Sure." Ben said with a shrug, swerving out of the way of a large group.

"Would you have slept with me if you weren't seeing someone?" She asked, Ben could barely hear her over the blaring music.

Ben thought about it before saying, "No, I'm not one for one-night stands. Not my style." She stayed silent after that. When they finally got to the front door they met up with Host, who was currently Heatblast. "She needs a black stamp." Ben said, holding out her already stamped hand. "By the way, why Heatblast?" He asked while Heatblast rummaged around for the ink pad.

"It's freaking cold out here." Heatblast said absentmindedly. "Ah, here it is." He said, grabbing the stained stamp and grabbing some fresh ink and stamping over her red stamp.

"Thanks." Ben said as he walked her back inside. He put Natalie against a wall and got her attention. "Hey, I'm sorry that you're leaving soon. Where you going to?" He really did feel bad for her, she was just an inebriated fan.

"Some stupid outpost. Dangerous area, they need me." She sighed with a wave of her hand.

Ben thought about it and then had an idea that might cheer her up. "Hey, how about I recommend you for a raise?"

This made Natalie perk up. "You would do that for me even after I made a fool of myself?"

"Yeah, sure. I'm not going to hold it against you for being drunk and it sounds like you're making a personal sacrifice to go to where you're going." Natalie nodded. "Well then, I think that's pretty heroic." Ben said, flashing her the smile he always used on fangirls.

Natalie threw her arms around Ben in a big hug. "Thank you so much!" She said with a giggle.

"We just talked about the touching." Ben said awkwardly.

"Oh, sorry." She said sheepishly, letting go of Ben her face red. And with that they parted on a positive note and Ben went to find Gwen again.

"I could have handled her!" Gwen vented to Rook, drink in hand. She took a sip and sighed. "I mean, he's always protected me, I can fight my own battle." Rook just nodded, letting her get out her frustrations. "He's the same doofus as he was when he was a kid." Gwen mumbled, her words distorted by the cup to her lips. She finished off the drink and floated the empty cup to the trash can. "Let's go eat." She sighed after looking around for Ben and not finding him.

"Thank you for letting me vent, Rook, but I actually want your input." Gwen said gently. Unable to sit at the table she grabbed a plate of food and moved to the wall.

Rook put a finger to his chin in contemplation. "Hmm…" He hummed, closing his eyes. Gwen raised her eyebrows incredulously, why did he need to think about it this much? "Ah! Yes, Ben was being a doofus for not taking your feelings into consideration, but he was more focused on preventing a fight than preventing your hurt feelings." He said concisely. He smiled at her, clearly proud of his deduction.

Gwen smiled back and gave a soft sigh. "I suppose. Oh, why did I have to fall for such an idiot?" She chuckled.

"Oh, who's an idiot?" Ben said, lightheartedly. He had snuck up beside Gwen without her noticing.

Gwen let out a squeal of surprise but then burst out laughing. She playfully shoved Ben and said, "You, you big goof! You scared me!" Ben grabbed her and pulled her into an embrace. Gwen felt herself blush and giggled, she let out a contented sigh. After a few seconds she perked up and said, "Come on, let's get some drinks."

They all gathered around the bar each with a shot in hand. "Ready?" Ben asked, a smirk on his face.

"I don't know…" Gwen said, looking at the glass skeptically. She sniffed the drink and snorted in disgust. "What's even in this?" She asked.

"Trust me, you don't want to know." Ben chuckled. "Scared?" Ben teased.

"No!" Gwen said quickly and then cleared her throat. "No, not scared. Just…wary." She corrected. "Does it taste as bad as it smells?"

"Yes, it does." Rook said, sourly.

Ben laughed and wrapped his arm around Rook's shoulder. "He was my first guinea pig." He boasted. "Come on, on three!" Ben said holding up the shot. "One…" Gwen held up her shot as well. "Two…" Rook groaned but held his shot up. "Three!" At once they all downed the shot. Gwen's face turned as green as the shot and even Ben had trouble keeping it down.

"Lives up to its name." Gwen moaned. "Stinkfly." Rook ran off only to throw up in the planters.

"Guess he had one too many." Ben said, sympathetically.

"Or maybe it's just an awful shot." Gwen countered. "Come on, I'm picking the next one." And so went down shot after shot. Rook sat out for a few of them while his stomach settled down but eventually joined back in.

"That's enough Ben." Bar said after Ben had slammed his fist down on the bar, demanding another drink. "I'll get you a black stamp if I have to." He said, narrowing his eyes.

"What!? You can't black stamp me!" Ben said, incredulously. He stumbled back a couple steps.

Gwen caught him and said, "Hey, I know, let's go dance." Hoping to change the subject. Besides, she was already drunk enough. "It must be almost time for the ball to drop anyways and you should be there." Gwen added.

"Yeah, what time is it anyways?" Ben asked, starting to walk back in. After a few swipes on his Omnitrix a holographic display showed that it was 11:15. "Watch this." Ben said with a nudge to Gwen. He weaved his way through the crowd to the DJ booth. Gwen leaned against the wall and watched him, curious to what he was about to do.

Ben jumped up, landing on a small ledge on the booth, startling DJ and making a few guests who saw gasp and point. The blaring music cut out drawing the attention of the crowd. "Alright party people!" He called. "Who's having a good time!?" A round of applause and cheering rang out, almost deafening. "I can't hear you!" Even Gwen and the fellow wall flowers were pulled into his energy and cheered. Her head vibrated with the volume.

"Hit it!" He commanded, DJ automatically started again with a heavy, thumping beat that was irresistible. Gwen started to bob her head with the beat. She was tempted to join the crowd in front of the booth that was jumping to the beat. Ben was headbanging to the rhythm surprisingly agile for how drunk he was.

The beat started to build, the tension palpable. Ben smiled, knowing exactly what he was going to do. Everyone in the room could feel the drop coming and a few people started cheering for it. He stopped headbanging to pinpoint his target, a small grouping of girls a few feet ahead of him. He locked eyes them and smiled wider, silently communicating his intentions. The lights were flashing to the fast beat of the buildup. The music cut for a second before the base dropped, sending the crowd into a frenzy. Ben jumped, twisted in midair to land on him back and prayed he'd be caught.

The girls shrieked but caught him, Ben sunk a few inches before getting hefted back up above the crowd. Hands grabbed for him in all directions, carrying him every which way. Ben laughed, feeling care free and on top of the world.

"BEN TENNYSON!" A shrill voice cut above the blaring music. Everyone stopped, the music cut, the lights came on. Ben sat up and looked for who called his name. His heart sank when he saw who it was: Rebecca's parents. Ben instructed the crowd to move him towards them, and he surfed, while sitting up, on the crowd. The dropped him off right in front of her parents. Ben's stomach twisted with apprehension, he had been avoiding them ever since she died.

"Hey." He said lamely.

"I think you know why we're here." Rebecca's father, Mathew, said. He crossed his arms sternly.

Ben nodded. "Follow me." He sighed. He led them to his bedroom, grabbing Gwen along the way. If he was going to talk to them it wasn't going to be alone. When he turned on the lights in his room he found a random couple hooking up on his bed. Ben facepalmed. "Just get out!" He ordered. The couple grabbed whatever covers they could and ran out of the room. "Perfect." He grumbled. He sat on the edge of the bed and put his face in his hands. "Alright, start with the questions." He said with a sigh.

"Well, all that we ever heard is that she died in the field. Whenever we pressed further, we were told it was classified." Rebecca's mother, Mary, said. It was clear that she was frustrated.

"It doesn't help that you blacklisted us." Mathew scoffed.

Memories that he'd prefer to stay repressed started floating to the surface. He felt his throat tighten, a painful lump forming that he couldn't swallow down. He cleared his throat, buying time to think of what to say. It wasn't until Gwen put a hand on his shoulder that he took a deep breath. "Uh, it's not classified per say, I don't know why they told you that." He said, figuring it was as good of a place than any to start. He paused, but they didn't say anything. "I can't go into detail but—" His voice cracked and his eyes burned.

He squeezed his eyes shut. "Uh…" He stammered, the weight of his guilt and her parent's stare heavy on his shoulders. He felt so exposed and he hated it. "We were on a mission to deal with a weapon of mass destruction. When we got caught infiltrating their base, they started to set off the weapon. She was trying to disarm it while Rook and I guarded her." His voice was shaking and he ended every sentence abruptly. He could almost smell the smell of ozone caused by their weapons firing. He could hear Rook's voice echo in his ears, calling for help as several of them jumped him at once. Could see the flash of the weapon as it passed him. Could hear her scream as she was hit.

"We failed." He choked out. "She was hit. The timer was almost over." He felt as though he was suffocating, completely lost in his head. "It was her last act to teleport us to a safe distance." He said, tears escaping him. "She was a hero." He said earnestly.

He gasped when a pair of arms wrapped around him. He opened his eyes to see Mary, her face buried in his shoulder. Her shoulders shook with her sobs. He looked up at Mathew, his eyes glistened with barely held back emotion. When he looked to Gwen, she gave him a sympathetic smile. "Thank you." Mary sobbed. Ben gingerly returned the hug and stroked her back, trying to comfort the grieving mother.

"I'm so sorry." Ben whispered, his voice refused to get any louder.

Mathew shook his head. "We always knew it was a possibility when she joined the plumbers. Still, you can never prepare for it."

Mary nodded and sat up. "I always worried about her, tried to convince her to quit, but she was so stubborn. She was happy doing what she was doing." Mary let out a broken, half sob half laugh. "I don't think she would have been happy doing anything else." Ben laughed with her, recalling more pleasant memories. Mary gave him a tight hug, nearly squeezing the breath out of him. "Thank you." She repeated, this time stronger. "Thank you for finally giving us some closure." Ben nodded, unable to talk while being squeezed.

When everyone stopped crying, they made their way back to the party. Ben tried to convince Mathew and Mary to stay but they politely refused. "We're too old to be partying like that." Mathew laughed. Ben escorted them out, Mary giving him a final hug before they left. Ben closed the door and checked the time, shocked to find that it was only a few minutes before midnight.

He ran up to DJ and showed him the time who then promptly cut the song and turned on the lights. "Alright, go grab your drinks and gather in the living room. The ball will be dropping soon." DJ announced over the speakers. The crowd murmured excitedly and dispersed. Ben turned on the TV and flipped through the channels before finding a live broadcasting of the ball dropping.

Gwen walked up behind Ben and tapped his shoulder. She laughed when he jumped. "Here." She said with a barely contained chuckle. She handed him a flute of champagne and took a sip of her own. They made their way to close to the TV when the guests started to trickle back in. Ben talked to the guests, telling a particularly thrilling story of chasing a bad guy through Undertown.

She kept an eye on the TV, excited for the ball to drop and bring in a new year. The ball started to fall, signifying there was only a minute left of this awful year. The lights flashed, getting everyone's attention and all eyes turned to watch the slowly falling ball.

Ben quietly got Gwen's attention. "To a better year." He said as a toast, lifting up his glass. Gwen smiled and echoed the sentiment. They clinked glasses and Ben downed the champagne, Gwen snickered but did the same.

"10…9…8…" The crowd started to cheer.

"7…6…5…" Ben grabbed Gwen's hand and held it.

"4…3…2…" They joined along in the countdown.

"1!" Ben dipped Gwen and gave her a deep kiss. Gwen wrapped her arms around him and reciprocated the kiss. All eyes were now on them, as they were the last couple to separate from their traditional kiss. Ben met all the eyes that were judging him and cleared his throat. "Surprise?" Well this would be a hit to his reputation. The crowd murmured, seemingly trying to make up their collective minds. Overall the reaction was mixed, some people came up to him to offer their support, others gave him looks of disgust but most people were somewhere in the middle.

The party slowly picked back up, those who openly opposed him left leaving only those who either supported him or were at least not openly hostile. The party eventually turned back into a total rager with Ben being pulled into a mosh pit that had formed in the middle of the dance floor. Whenever he tried to push through the ring he was pushed back into the fray. It all culminated in him having to apologize after flipping a man over his shoulder and making an exit for himself.

Around 1 am people were starting to leave, Ben made sure to say goodbye to everyone he caught leaving. Around 2 am people were starting to pass out, anyone who passed out was dragged into the office to sleep it off. By 3 am everyone had either left or passed out. Both Ben and Gwen were exhausted as they stepped over people who called the floor their bed for the night. He was so tired that Ben didn't even rejoin with his others just flopped on the excessively comfy bed. Within seconds he had fell into a deep, dreamless sleep.

Oh my, that was a marathon, I'm sorry it was so long but I hope everyone had fun reading anyway. (YD)


	13. Chapter 13

Trigger warning for depictions of suicide

* * *

Ben's eyes snapped open, but not out of fear or for any identifiable reason. He sat up and put his feet on the floor. That's when he noticed something was wrong; he didn't do that. Suddenly, Ben realized that he couldn't control his body. He looked around, Gwen was still asleep, and the room was dark only being illuminated by the digital clock on his nightstand.

He stood up slowly, meanwhile Ben started to panic. He wanted to lay back down and sleep, but his body had other plans. He walked slowly out of the house, not even getting dressed first. The night was cold and clear, the stars shone brightly overhead. His feet felt like they were sticking to the freezing ground making each step sting.

He got into his car and while he was adjusting the mirror, he caught sight of something that disturbed him; he looked so peaceful. It was only a quick glance, but Ben found himself ruminating over it. The bags under his eyes were gone, he had a natural smile on his face and his eyes looked unburdened. Ben just now thought of how awful he looked in his day to day life. _'How long have I looked so bad?'_ Ben asked himself.

"Too long." He said. Ben mentally jumped, he wasn't expecting an answer. Ben was forced to sit on a long silent drive, it was over an hour long. Eventually he pulled onto an off-road trail, now Ben had no clue where he was going. The trail twisted and turned sharply, several times he took them so fast that he almost careened off the road and over the sheer cliffs.

Eventually he came to the end of the trail, a clearing the ended in a cliff. He got out of the car and walked slowly through the tall, dead grass until he got to the edge of the cliff. He looked up at the clear night sky, there was no light pollution and he could see every star. "Is it beautiful? Inspiring? Peaceful?" He asked.

' _Yeah.'_ Ben thought back.

"It's not. It's cold, uncaring and pointless. Not a single speck out there really gives a fuck." He said, frowning.

' _That's not true, people care about me. If it wasn't for me then all of these stars wouldn't even be here.'_ Ben thought, arguing with himself.

He laughed, a cold, bitter laugh.

' _What about Gwen?'_ Ben asked.

He didn't answer just lifted his Omnitrix and selected Jetray. He jumped off the cliff, diving a few feet before sharply pulling up and flying up towards the starts. Higher and higher he flew, the air grew thin and cold, but it didn't bother him. He stopped and just hung in midair for a few seconds. "I wish it was beautiful." He said as he deactivated the Omnitrix.

' _This has to be a nightmare!'_ Ben thought desperately he started fell through the cold air. _'I need to wake up right now!'_ Ben thought as he continued to plummet through the air. _'Don't do this!'_ Ben screamed, he just smiled and closed his eyes. _'Wake up!'_ Ben begged repeatedly. He would hit the ground any second now. _'I don't want to-'_

Ben woke up screaming. Gwen jumped awake. "Ben what's wrong?" She asked, as she turned on her lamp.

Ben got up and paced beside the bed. "Nope!" was all he said, running his hands through his hair. His heart was pounding out of his chest and he was hyperventilating. "Just no!" He yelled as his mind tried to revisit the dream. He shook his head violently, he had never had a nightmare like that.

Gwen grabbed Ben's shoulders and spun him around to face her. "I said calm down." Gwen said when Ben looked her in the eyes. He never heard her say that. "I've never seen you so worked up after a nightmare." Gwen said, concerned. Ben was still hyperventilating, and his leg bounced anxiously. "Come on," She said gently. "let's go sit down and you can tell me what your dream was about." Gwen started guiding him to the bed.

Ben shook out of her grasp. "I am _not_ going to talk about it." He said angerly. " _Ever!_ " he emphasized with wave of his arm.

"It couldn't have been that bad." Gwen scoffed, crossing her arms.

Ben laughed angerly. "You want to bet?" he asked, throwing his arms out to the side combatively. They glared at each other angerly, neither willing to be the first to back down. After a solid minute Ben broke, he sighed with frustration and said, "I can't go back to sleep. I'm going to go play a game." And walked out of the room. He heard Gwen sigh softly behind him.

Ben made a detour to the kitchen to grab a beer and took a few sips on his way to the living room. "What the hell was that even about anyway?" He growled at himself and took another sip. "I've never even thought about…" He cut himself off, he wanted to forget about the nightmare, not relive it. "Stupid subconscious." He muttered and started up the latest Sumo Slammers game.

Ben completely lost track of time and before he knew it dawn was shining through the windows. Ben was exhausted and so he laid his head back and closed his eyes. After only a few minutes he had the sensation of falling and he jerked awake. "Maybe I should lay in bed." He mumbled.

He staggered to the bedroom and flopped down on the bed. Gwen woke up. "Are you just now getting back to sleep?" She asked, looking at the clock. "It's 7:00." She stated.

"I can see the time." Ben grumbled and buried his face in his pillow. He drifted off before Gwen said anything else. A voice rang out in the blackness, his voice. "The stars don't care." Ben felt cold. "Why aren't they beautiful?" he heard his voice whisper before the sensation of falling made him wake up.

He sat up quickly, his heart racing. He thought about it and decided that it was a great time for some coffee. His heart sank as he noticed that it'd only been thirty minutes.

"Couldn't sleep?" Gwen asked when Ben came into the kitchen and started grinding coffee.

"Don't even get me started." He groaned, pouring the grounds into the coffee maker. Gwen just gave him a sympathetic smile, it did improve Ben's mood a little bit. He sat next to Gwen and laid his head on the counter.

"It'll be better tonight." Gwen said as she rubbed Ben's back. Ben smiled but he wasn't sure that was true. He started to drift off again while waiting for his coffee to finish brewing, but the image of his peaceful face flashed in his mind and he snapped his eyes back open. While he was dozing Gwen had put a mug of coffee in front of him, Ben thanked her and took a sip of the hot, bitter coffee. Usually he didn't like his coffee black, but he was so tired he didn't care.

Ben just realized that Gwen was eating cereal. "Oh, I'm sorry. I could have made you breakfast." Ben said.

Gwen stopped, the spoon halfway to her mouth. "What? Oh, no. I just wanted cereal today." She said with a chuckle. "Besides, with how tired you are it'd probably come out burnt." Gwen added, half seriously. Ben begrudgingly agreed.

A couple hours later Ben and Gwen were on the couch, watching the news, Gwen laying her head on Ben's lap. "Wow, that was some great coffee." Ben said with a laugh.

"What?" Gwen asked.

"I'm wide awake. Not tired at all. Remind me to pick up that brand when we run out." Ben explained.

"Sure." Gwen said, sounding unconvinced. Ben started laughing again. "What's so funny?" She asked, sitting up.

"I was so mad about the dream. I was just over reacting." Ben said, barely containing his laughter.

"I'm sure it was distressing at the time." Gwen said wisely.

Later that day Ben was in the training room, he had just a simple gym running with a wrestling ring in the center. Ben was shadowboxing, his heart pumping with exertion for the first time in a while. He was mad at himself for letting himself get lazy, he hadn't worked out in over a month. He dropped his arms and caught his breath. _'Maybe if I wear myself out the nightmares will stop'_ He thought. Ben went ditto and split once. "You know what to do." He said to his clone. In sync they went human.

They both went into a defensive pose and they slowly circled each other, waiting for an opening. It was the clone that struck first, lunging with a right hook. Ben ducked down of the way and punished his clone with a solid jab to the gut. His clone swept his legs out from under him. Ben let himself fall, catching himself on his forearms and twirling his torso to kick his clone, he managed a solid blow to his jaw.

His clone stumbled sideways a few steps, giving Ben enough time to get back up on his feet. He waited and watched for his clone's next attack. "What are you scared?" Ben taunted his clone.

His clone dropped his arms and looked confused. "What are you talking about?" he asked but got punished for letting his guard down as Ben attacked, landing several quick jabs at his clone's head. His clone quickly recovered and brought his arms up to protect his face.

They exchanged blows equally, and in a minute, they separated, bruised and breathless. "Why did you make me do that?" Ben said in between gasps.

"Do what? You're the one who wanted to spar." His clone retorted.

"I'm talking about the dream." He said, his head bowed. He realized he was just talking to himself, but he needed to get this out.

"I didn't do anything, I'm just an extension of you." His clone replied. "So how am I supposed to know?"

"Just forget it." Ben said and went ditto again; his clone did the same. "Next time then." Ditto said, and the other ditto nodded before they merged back together.

He took the elevator back upstairs, sore and exhausted. Ben barely even remembered to turn off the simulation, having to backtrack half-way to his room. He shook his head trying to clear the fog that was clouding his thoughts.

Gwen was already in bed, reading, she looked up when she heard Ben enter. "You look awful." Gwen said a concerned look on her face.

"Yeah, well, I'm tired." Ben replied as he flopped down on the bed.

"No, I mean you have a black eye." Gwen said, bluntly.

"Nah, they're just bags." Ben said, rolling over on his side to face away from Gwen.

"Right, like I don't know what black eyes look like." Gwen said sarcastically. She leaned over Ben and looked him over. "Your knuckles are bloody." She pointed out, grabbing Ben's hand, he flinched. "I get that you were sparring but aren't you supposed to use gloves?" Gwen looked into his eyes, her voice soft and caring.

"Do the bad guys wear gloves?" Ben asked rhetorically. "No, they don't." he answered his own question.

"What's gotten into you?" Gwen asked, seemingly insulted.

"I'm just tired." Ben replied, and closed his eyes. He heard Gwen give a little snort before she laid back down. Ben drifted off.

Ben felt himself get up, his body out of his control. _'No!'_ Ben screamed, he tried to fight his body. _'Why is this happening?'_ he howled in frustration and fear. His body showed no signs of stopping or slowing down. Ben cried, just wanting to wake up from this nightmare. _'Aren't people supposed control their dreams when they know they're dreaming?'_ Ben asked himself as his bare feet stung from the cold pavement.

' _Why are you doing this?'_ Ben asked his body, it answered the last time, maybe it would this time.

"I'm so tired." His body replied as he stepped out of the car, the frozen grass crunching with each step he took. "Look at them." He said as he gazed up at the stars. "I hate them." He said as he leapt off the edge of the cliff without going Jetray.

' _You can still change your mind!"_ Ben begged, his brain buzzing with fear. His body just smiled and closed its eyes. _"Fuck!"_ Ben yelled as he braced himself for the impact.

Ben sat up suddenly, this time not screaming. He looked at the clock and wanted to scream; he'd only been asleep for two hours. He breathed fast and his heart raced, adrenaline coursed through him and made him feel wide awake. He looked over at Gwen who was still asleep, he was glad that he managed not to wake her up for once.

Ben briefly considered taking something to help him sleep, but he didn't want to be trapped in the nightmare again. _'Why did it change?'_ Ben thought to himself as he laid back down. _'Is this really going to be a reoccurring dream?'_ Ben asked himself, tears burning his eyes. At least with the other nightmares he could understand, but with this one… he'd never considered suicide. Ben grabbed the pillow from under his head and shoved it over his face in frustration. His shoulders shook in a silent sob.

Ben tossed the now wet pillow aside and rolled over on his side. He couldn't get back to sleep but he couldn't motivate himself to get up and do something. Ben watched as the minutes ticked away, he must have drifted in and out several times because one second it was 3:15 and the next it was 4:00. He hoped that these lapses of consciousness would make him feel better, but he only grew more tired as the night drew on.

Ben groaned as he watched dawn peek through the curtains, he had just stayed up all night and did absolutely nothing. _'Today is not going to be a better day.'_ Ben thought bitterly to himself as he remembered what Gwen said. He waited for Gwen to start stirring before he closed his eyes and slowed his breathing.

"Good, he's asleep." Gwen said with a sigh of relief. Ben resisted the urge to correct her. He opened his eyes back up when he heard the door open and then close again.

Ben thought that a shower would help, and he stumbled to the bathroom, he was finding it hard to walk straight, he dismissed it as being caused by sore muscles. He caught a glimpse of himself as he passed by the mirror, it made him do a double take.

His right eye was fine, just the normal dark shadows but his left eye made him cringe looking at it. It was swollen almost shut and was colored black and blue with splotches of yellow. He gingerly touched his eyes and hissed with pain. _'How did I not notice how bad it hurt?'_ Ben wondered as he finally noticed the throbbing pain coming from his eye. He covered his right eye and looked at himself in the mirror, everything was blurry. He cursed at himself for not realizing how bad he was hurt earlier and resolved to have Gwen heal it when he got out of the shower.

"How'd you sleep?" Gwen asked as Ben started a pot of coffee.

"Great." Ben lied, putting a smile on his face. "Hey, do you mind taking care of this?" Ben asked, gesturing to his eye. "It's really bugging me." Gwen nodded and walked up to him, her hand already glowing.

It only took a couple of seconds and Ben breathed a sigh of relief as the pain went away and his vision returned to normal. "This is why we wear gloves when we box." Gwen gently scolded.

Ben felt himself swell with indignation but let it go with a sigh. "Yeah, you're right." The smell of coffee lifted his spirits and he forced himself to be in a good mood. "Hey, how about we just watch some bad movies today?" Ben asked as he poured himself a cup of coffee.

Gwen smiled. "Sounds like fun, I'll get in my fox pajamas!" she said with a giggle. She left quickly to get changed. Ben let out a chuckle that ended in a sigh, he could go another day without sleep. Ben quickly chugged his coffee before Gwen could see him and then regretted it because he forgot to add milk.

Ben came out into the living room with a bowl of air popped popcorn and a fresh cup of coffee, this time with milk. Gwen was in her fox pajamas, the hood already up. Ben gave a genuine smile and sat on the couch, his arm out so Gwen could cuddle on his chest. They watched movies until well after sunset and Gwen mentioned that she was hungry, Ben agreed and went to prepare a simple dinner.

A plate shattered when Ben dropped it, he shook his head feeling weird. He glanced around nervously and tried to remember what he was doing. It took him a few seconds to remember that he was just about to serve dinner, that's why he had a plate in hands.

"Are you okay?" Gwen asked, poking her head in the kitchen.

"Yeah, just tripped." Ben laughed. "Hey, how about we eat on the deck?" Ben asked, quickly changing the subject. Gwen looked unsure but agreed and went to wait on the deck.

Ben looked back to the meal he had prepared, he realized that he had no memory of cooking, he must have done it on autopilot. He looked in the pan, it was chicken alfredo. Ben sniffed the air, it smelt fine, he grabbed a spoon and tasted the white sauce. "Even on autopilot I'm an awesome cook." Ben laughed.

Ben used his foot to open the sliding glass door, almost loosing his balance. He placed a plate of food down in front of Gwen who said, "I could have opened the door you know." With a playful smirk. Ben just laughed and sat down.

Ben looked down and his plate was empty. "What?" He mumbled. He was sure that he put food on both of their plates. Ben rubbed his eyes and blinked hard, when he looked back down, he noticed that there was evidence that food used to be on the plate. Ben licked his lips and tasted the garlicy cream sauce. He concluded that he must have eaten without remembering it.

"Are you okay?" Gwen asked. Ben looked back up at her, his vision blurred for a second before focusing on her face.

"Yeah, just…" Ben struggled to think of an excuse. "Uh…tired." He said lamely, he was so tired he couldn't even think of a lie.

"How about we turn in early?" Gwen said, putting a hand on Ben's. Ben nodded dully, Gwen helped Ben up and led him to the bed, they left the dishes outside.

"We're going to get ants." Ben said, it seemed like the most important thing to say at the time.

"What? No, we're not, it's the middle of winter." Gwen said with a chuckle.

"Ants live in winter." Ben retorted.

"But they don't come out during winter, they'd freeze." Gwen said patiently. "Listen, once I get you in bed I'll go back and do the dishes." Gwen said reassuringly when she noticed Ben was still preoccupied with the thought. This seemed to calm Ben as he looked back down at the floor, he swayed with each step he took. Gwen suddenly realized that he didn't sleep last night, and his weird behavior was due to sleep deprivation.

When Gwen had gotten Ben to lay in bed, she waved a hand over his half open eyes, he didn't seem to have a reaction. "You're not all there, are you Ben?" She asked softly, more to herself than to Ben. She pulled the covers over him and gave him a soft kiss on the forehead. "Try to sleep, okay dweeb?" Gwen stood there a few seconds longer before sighing, there wasn't much more she could do for him now. The only other thing that might help she needed his permission for, and he was in no state to give consent. She left the room and went to do the dishes.

Ben woke up with no control of his body. Instantly dread filled his mind. _'Is there even a point trying to fight this?'_ Ben wondered. _'At least in my other dreams that I can't control myself I'm not so aware. This is just Hell.'_ Ben sighed, fear giving way into depression. _'I'll stop this, one way or another.'_ He was already in the car, he paid careful attention to the route his body was taking, he had an idea and as soon as he woke up, he'd enact it. His body decided to fly this time, picking Big Chill.

"I hate them." His body said before letting himself fall. This was always the worst part, waiting to "land", Ben would never get used to the fear that washed over him as he fell in a body he couldn't control. His body closed its eyes and Ben braced for impact.

Ben woke up with a gasp, his heart was racing, and he couldn't stop shaking. He took a minute to collect himself, let the panic wear off. With one last deep breath in and out Ben was filled with determination. He broke up his plan into small steps, he looked around and saw that Gwen was not in the bed with him. He would need to find out where she was and take it from there. He got up and crept out of the room, determination cutting through the fog that had filled his brain. He listened carefully for any signs of Gwen, he heard the T.V in the living room on, she was likely in there.

He poked his head around the corner that led into the living room and saw Gwen laying on the couch, Ben couldn't be sure if she was asleep, so he assumed she was not and adjusted his plans accordingly. He turned around and went to the virtual room, pressing a secret button near the down button to keep the elevator silent. He crossed the large room and started rubbing the wall, feeling for a loose panel. When he found that panel, he pressed it down and several panels sprung away from the wall and to the side revealing a secret passage. When he crossed the threshold, the panels slid back in place behind him leaving him in pitch black.

A vision of himself appeared in front of him and he walked straight through it without second thought, it was impossible to see things right now, so it was just a hallucination. Ben felt fury burn inside him, this time the fury wasn't at himself for having the dream but at the dream itself. He opened the door at the other end of the short passage and stepped out into the cold night air.

He turned Jetray and flew off into the night, sticking close to the road so he could trace the path that he recalled in his dream. Several times he found himself drooping and he would snap back up with renewed rage. _'This stupid nightmare has kept me awake long enough!'_ He would shout internally whenever he slipped.

Jetray landed in the same clearing as the dream and deactivated the Omnitrix. A memory came flooding back to him, one that he had repressed. The images took form in front of Ben and he felt compelled to stand in the same spot he stood that day.

Rook and Rebecca came into sharp focus, he stuck his hands in his pockets and smiled. He had almost forgot how beautiful Rebecca was, her long brown hair swayed softly in the breeze. The sight of her baby blue sundress brought the smell of her flowery detergent dancing across Ben's nose. She and Rook sat with their backs turned Ben, holding hands. The sun was setting, painting the sky in brilliant shades of red, yellow, and pinks. Quickly the sky darkened, and stars poked their way through the black curtain of night.

Rebecca leaned against Rook with a sigh. "The stars are beautiful from here, are they not?" Rook asked, Rebecca nodded. "Whenever I feel stressed out, I come here. It is peaceful." Rook added. Ben saw Rook take a deep breath and heard him release it shakily. Rook stood up quickly, sending Rebecca tumbling to the ground. "Sorry." He said with a flinch. He grabbed both of Rebecca's hands and pulled her up.

Rook took a knee, still holding Rebecca's hands. "There's a reason I asked you here to watch the sunset today." He said. Ben heard her chuckle softly, she bounced on the balls of her feet. "There is a tradition here on Earth that I have always found interesting." Rook said, letting go of her hands and reaching into his back pocket. "And since you grew up on Earth, I figured I would ask you in this way." He pulled out a small black box and opened it. Rebecca covered her mouth and gave a laughing sob. "Will you marry me?" He asked.

Rebecca dropped down to her knees and wrapped her arms around Rook. "Yes, I will." She said through sobs. Ben's smile widened, and he applauded, the couple jumped. "Oh, Ben." Rebecca said with a laugh. "I forgot you were there. You've been abnormally silent."

"Yeah, well, Rook asked me to shut up for once." Ben said with a shrug and a laugh. And then the vision melted in front of him. Ben felt tears run down his face. "How long have I been crying?" Ben asked aloud as he wiped his eyes. It took him some time to compose himself and regain some of the determination that had brought him here in the first place. It was time to confront his nightmare.

He slammed down on the Omnitrix, turning into Jetray. He shot up into the sky, his eyes filling with stars. He was a mile up before he stopped and just hung in midair. Jetray whipped around in every direction, looking for something. "Come on out you coward!" He screamed at the empty sky. "Come on! I know you can hear me, I know you can appear, so come out already!" He panted angerly.

"I'm here." Said a voice behind him. Jetray turned around to see himself, that is to say Ben, floating in midair. He stood on an invisible platform with a look of contempt on his face.

"You and I are going to talk." Jetray said, fuming.

"No duh." Ben said sarcastically.

"What are you? Why are you doing this!" Jetray yelled, swooping over and grabbing Ben's arms.

"What am I? That's simple, I'm the part of you that constantly screams. I'm the part of you that can't handle what we did. I'm the part of you that wants help. I'm the part of you that you bury in denial and drown out with your jokes and laughter." Ben said with a straight face. "Why am I doing this? Again, it's simple. I am doing this to get you to listen up. But you never do, do you? It took you killing yourself to finally listen to what I'm saying. We need help, and I won't rest until we get it." He sighed and looked down. "I am so _tired_. Let me rest." Ben pleaded. Jetray let go and he dropped like a stone. He didn't wait around to see him splatter against the ground.

Jetray flew back home in deep thought. He had just been told what he needed to do to stop having these nightmares, but he wasn't sure he could do it. It scared him to the core just thinking about revealing what he had done, especially to Gwen. He was terrified of what Gwen would think, if he hated himself then how could Gwen not hate him? He would need to decide which he feared more; the nightmares or opening up.

Jetray landed next to the house and deactivated the Omnitrix. Ben snuck back inside the same way he left. He suddenly felt tired when he stepped out of the elevator, he couldn't resist the urge to go to sleep. He stumbled his way back to the room crawled into bed. The sheets quickly warmed him, and it carried him off to a long needed, dreamless, restful sleep. When he woke up it was 2 pm.

"You're finally awake!" Gwen said when Ben shuffled into the living room where Gwen was. "You did sleep, right?" She asked, looking worried.

Ben nodded. "Yeah, didn't have a single dream." He said and sat next to her. "I feel a lot better." He gave Gwen a genuine smile and they kissed.


End file.
